A 40-year-old surety, identified as Ezendiokwere Emmanuel, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court for allegedly failing to produce an alleged bus thief in court.
Emmanuel is facing a two-count charge bordering on aiding the escape of the accused and preventing the course of justice.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Adeniyi Balogun, told the court that the surety committed the offences on October 5, 2016 at Chief Magistrate Court 3, Agbo-Malu, Apapa.
“The surety applied and took on bail of one Chukwunonso Udokoro who was involved in a case of obtaining under false pretence and stealing one LT 300 bus reported by one Uju Blessing wherein you undertook to produce the said Chukwunonso Udokoro on the October 31, 2016 or any other date as the case against him is finally disposed off or forfeit the sum of N300,000 to Lagos State Government in accordance with section 132 of Administration of Criminal of Lagos State 2015,” Balogun said.
The prosecutor also said that the surety attempted to obstruct, prevent, pervert and defeat the course of justice by aiding Chukwunonso Udokoro, a defendant he took on bail on October 5, 2016 at Chief Magistrate Court 3, Agbo-Malu, to escape from jurisdiction.
According to him, the offence is punishable under section 97(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The surety pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Nurudeen Layeni granted the surety bail in the sum of N150,000 with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a civil servant of Grade Level 12.
He adjourned the case till June 3, 2019 for mention.