Two men, Prince Onyekachi and Michael Uka, on Tuesday, appeared before a Grade I Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, charged with mischief and misleading the police as to the true owners of a land matter.
The defendants, who gave their addresses as Byazhin, Abuja, were charged with abetment, criminal trespass, mischief and giving false information.
The prosecution counsel, John Okpa, told the court that Onyekachi instigated Uka and they both on Sept. 11, trespassed on a land at Plot 1430, Extension 3B Layout, Kubwa, and destroyed the security post erected by one Dogo Saliman.
Okpa said that during the police investigation, Onyekachi informed the investigating police officers at Kubwa Police Station that the said land was entrusted to him to watch over.
The prosecutor said that the defendants presented a forged Conveyance of Approval, Regularisation of land files, FCT Area Council acknowledgement and receipt all bearing the name Joel Bamaiyi in respect of the said plot.
Oops said that the offences contravened the provisions of sections 83, 348, 327 and 140 of the Penal Code, Laws of the FCT.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.
The defence counsel, Moses Ugwummadu, prayed the court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms.
Citing section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the defence counsel said that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The Judge, Mr Muhammad Adamu, granted the defendants N800,000 bail each with one reasonable surety each in like sum.
Adamu ordered that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, present means of identification and their addresses verified by the prosecution counsel.
He adjourned the case until Oct. 20, for hearing.(NAN)