The police on Thursday charged three men before a chief magistrates’ court in Wuse, Abuja, for allegedly stealing three electric motors.

The defendants are Gabriel Ukpai, Abdul Suleiman, and Emmanuel Terhemba.

They are standing trial on charges bordering on criminal conspiracy and stealing.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Sunny Emmanuel, told the court that a complainant, David Anyebe of Eunell Quarry in Durumi, Abuja, reported the matter at the Mpape Police Station on April 23.

Mr Emmanuel alleged that the defendants and one Kenneth Agupunam, now at large, conspired to steal three electric motors from the machines in the said quarry.

He alleged that one of the machines was recovered from the defendants while the other two, valued at N10 million, are yet to be recovered.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants confessed to selling one of the electric motors and sharing the proceeds among themselves.

The offences contravene the provisions of sections 97 and 289 of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, Remilekun Abdulraheem, for the first defendant, Enagonimi Ekpede, for the second defendant, and Idris Yusuf, for the third defendant moved applications for bail of the defendants, urging the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

Meanwhile, the prosecution opposed the bail application on the grounds that the defendants would interfere with the investigations, including the recovery of the stolen items.

He, however, argued that if bail is to be granted, it should be on stringent conditions.

The magistrate, Ekpeyong Inyang, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2 million each, with one reliable surety each in like sum who must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

The court held that the sureties must be civil servants and must depose to an affidavit of means of livelihood and produce documents from their organisations, adding that their addresses should be verified by the court’s registrar.

He added that the defendants would enter an undertaking that they shall not interfere with investigations or prosecution witnesses.

He adjourned the matter until July 1 for hearing.

(NAN)