Man Docked For Allegedly Stealing PHCN Armoured Cables

A 24-year-old man, Mr Geoffrey Joshua of Karmajiji Village, Abuja on Tuesday appeared before an Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court charged with stealing PHCN armoured cables valued at N4 million.

The police prosecutor, Mr Yilkudi Dungji, told the court that the matter was reported to the police on 6 October by Maikano Fagba of PHCN, Lugbe in Abuja.

Dungji said that the accused and Gabriel, who is at large, connived and went to PHCN pole, located at Madira Block Industry, Karmajiji, Airport Road and cut the armoured cable valued at N4 million.

He said that the accused persons were caught on the spot, but that Gabriel escaped into the nearby bush.

The prosecutor said that the offence was punishable under Sections 79 and 288 of the Penal Code.

When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty and Senior Magistrate Bashir Alkali granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 and one surety in like sum.

Alkali ordered that the surety must be a civil servant of any grade level, with a fixed address that must be verified by the prosecutor, adding that he must live within the court’s jurisdiction.