A 28-year-old driver, Mohammed Murtala, on Tuesday appeared before a the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna for stealing 200 bags of maize worth N1.8 million.

The police charged Mr Murtala, who resides in Kimkinau in Kaduna, with conspiracy, theft and forgery.

The police prosecutor, Child Leo, told the court that the defendant, who was an employee of F&C Transport Company, committed the offence in September 2021 at Rigasa in Kaduna.

Mr Leo added that the defendant was asked to deliver 200 bags of yellow and white varieties of maize worth N1.8 million to the company’s customer, but diverted the commodity and sold them to someone else.

The police also accused the defendant of forging a company’s waybill and converted the proceeds to his personal use.

The prosecutor said he notified the defendant’s employer when the customer did not get the goods, but the driver claimed that the goods were delivered to the customer when confronted.

He added that the offence contravened sections 187, 57 and 287 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the accused bail of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case until April 12 for a hearing.

(NAN)