Two lovers, Yahaya Basiru and Hafsat Muhammad, were on Friday docked in an upper area court in Gwagwalada, FCT, for allegedly stealing a friend’s N500,000.

The police charged Mr Basiru, 22, and Ms Muhammad, 22, both residents of Ungwa-Dodo, Gwagwalada, Abuja, with criminal conspiracy and theft.

The prosecution counsel, Abdullahi Tanko, told the court that the complainant, Nasiru Bala, of the same address, reported the matter at the Police Station on January 8.

Mr Tanko said that on January 6, the first defendant, Mr Basiru, collected the complainant’s house key to spend some time in his house with his girlfriend, which the complainant obliged him.

He said the defendants, after spending time in the house, returned the key to the complainant.

Mr Tanko said the complainant later discovered that the defendants stole his N500,000.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 96 and 286 of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, S.H. Yahaya, in an oral bail application, prayed the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms, citing sections 35 and 36 (5) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

The judge, Abdullahi Abdulkarim, admitted the defendants to N200,000 bail each with one reasonable surety each in like sum.

Mr Abdulkarim ordered that the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and must present their valid means of identification.

He adjourned the case until Feb. 19 for a hearing.

(NAN)