The police on Wednesday arraigned a 22-year-old businessman Abdulrazak Lawal, in a Kado Grade I Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly swindling a commercial sex worker of her mobile phones worth N266, 000.

The police charged Mr Lawal of Jabi Daki-biyu, Abuja with cheating and theft.

Prosecution counsel Stanley Nwafoaku told the court that on January 30 at about 3:50 p.m., the complainant, Charity Joseph, of Jabi Masalachi, FCT, Abuja, reported the matter at Life Camp Police Station.

Mr Nwafoaku alleged that on January 25 at about midnight, the complainant who is a commercial sex worker was approached by the defendant to seek for her services.

He said the defendant negotiated with the complainant to pay N10,000 for the night at White House hotel Jabi Daki-Biyu, Abuja.

The prosecution counsel alleged that the defendant stole the complainant’s iPhone valued at N266,000.

Mr Nwafoaku further told the court that the defendant did not pay the N10,000 as agreed, saying during police investigation, Mr Lawal was arrested and all effort made to recover the phones proved abortive.

He said the defendant admitted to have sold the phones to a man named Abba, who absconded to Katsina State, at N35,000 saying the offence contravene sections 322 and 288 of the penal code law.

The prosecution counsel said the offence contravened sections 322 and 288 of the penal code law.

The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defence counsel, Charity Nwosu, made a bail application for the defendants in the most liberal terms.

Ms Nwosu made the application citing sections 36 of the 1999 constitution and sections 158 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 promised that the defendant will not jump bail if granted.

The prosecution counsel, however, did not object to the bail application made by the defence counsel.

The judge, Muhammed Wakili admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N150,000 and one surety in like sum.

Mr Wakili ordered that the surety must provide a BVN print out, recent passport photograph and a valid identification card, which must be verified by the court registrar.

The judge adjourned the matter until March 1, for hearing. 

(NAN)