A 32-year-old labourer, Kepas Kobo, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Life Camp Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly stealing iron rods worth N4 million.

 The police charged the defendant, of 1st Avenue, Gwarinpa, Abuja, with criminal breach of trust and theft, to which he, however, pleaded not guilty.

 The Prosecution Counsel, Charity Nwachukwu, told the court that the complainant, Mr Usman Bubba reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station on July 10.

 Mrs Nwachukwu told the court that sometime in April, the complainant gave the defendant different kinds of irons to keep, pending when work would commence at his site.

 She said sometime in June, the complainant went to the site to start fixing the said irons, he discovered that the items had been disorganised, and he could not find the defendant at the site.

 The prosecution counsel said that the defendant betrayed the complainant’s trust and made away with angels’ iron, chakra plates, 18 gate irons, 3.5 inches pipes, 3.5 angels iron and others, all valued at N4 million.

 She said the defendant returned to the site after one week but could not give a satisfactory account of the missing iron rods.

 According to her, the offences contravene the provisions of sections 312 and 288 of the Penal Code

The Magistrate, Ramilatu Halilu, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties must be civil servants.

Ms Halilu, who said that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, adjourned the case till July 31 for future mention.

(NAN)