A Grade I Area Court in Dei-dei, Abuja ordered that a 28-year-old security guard, Paul David and a 32-year-old man, Chukwudi Mbaekwe, be remanded for allegedly stealing building materials worth N300,000.

The Judge, Sulyman Ola, also ordered the defence counsel, Lillian Ibrahim, to make a formal bail application for bail for the defendants.

Mr Ola however adjourned the matter until December 13 pending bail application.

Earlier, Mr Ibrahim, made an oral bail application for the defendants pursuant to Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) urging the court to grant them bail.

The police charged the defendants of Chikakore, Byazhin, Abuja, with criminal conspiracy and theft.

Prosecution counsel Babajide Olanipekun had told the court that the complainant, Itellary Ogboloagha reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Byazhin, on September 22.

Mr Olanipekun said that the complainant employed David as a security guard at his new site at Byazhin, Abuja sometime in 2021.

He alleged that the defendants conspired and stole all the complainant’s building materials valued N300,000 from his site.

The prosecution counsel said that the defendants allegedly sold the same to a man simply identified as Nafiu now at large, adding that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 97 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charge.

(NAN)