By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja – A Lugbe Area Court, Abuja, on Monday discharged a 22-year-old labourer, Bashiru Mohammed, charged with trespass and theft.
The Judge, Mr Abdullahi Garba, discharged the defendant following an application by the prosecuting counsel, Abdulmanan Ohidaji, who told the court to strike out the case for lack of complainant’s interest.
Garba said “having heard the prosecution’s application to strike out the suit for lack of complainant’s interest, the case is hereby struck out.
“The defendant is also discharged of all criminal charges.”
He, however, warned the defendant never to commit such offence again.
Mohammed a resident of River Park Estate Airport Road, Abuja, was accused of trespass and stealing borehole sumo.
He had pleaded not guilty to the allegations on June 21, when he was arraigned and was granted bail.
The defendant had always appeared in court for the matter but the complainant never appeared in court.
The prosecuting counsel said that the chief security guard of the estate and sole witness, who reported the matter at the Lugbe Police Station refused to appear in court to testify.
The counsel said the chief guard never appeared in court since the matter was first mentioned, and all efforts to make him come to court proved abortive.
The defendant was alleged to have criminally entered the estate and stole borehole sumo on June 17, 2017.
The sumo was valued at N100, 000, while the offence contravened Sections 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.(NAN)