The accused persons, Uzoma Onyeaghara and Ihechiluru Godfrey, were accused of breaking into the agency’s office located at Government New Station Layout, Umuahia, on two occasions and removing property belonging to the agency.
Police in Abia on Thursday arraigned two burglary suspects at an Umuahia Chief Magistrate’s Grade 1 Court on a three-count charge of allegedly breaking into the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Umuahia office complex.
The accused persons, Uzoma Onyeaghara and Ihechiluru Godfrey, were accused of breaking into the agency’s office located at Government New Station Layout, Umuahia, on two occasions and removing property belonging to the agency.
They, however, pleaded not guilty, when the charges were read to them.
The defence counsel, Mr Tony Uzosike, applied for bail for the accused, saying that it was within the discretion of the court to grant them bail.
The Prosecuting Police Officer, Mr. Godwin Inyang, however, opposed the bail application, saying that the accused persons were habitual criminals.
Inyang also said that such criminal acts were becoming rampant in Umuahia metropolis.
He expressed fear that the accused might jump bail and return to the life of criminality.
Onyeaghara claimed to be an auto mechanic apprentice while Ihechiluru said he was a mason assistant, adding that he came from a broken home.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Idika Kalu, said that he was worried by the level of decadence in the society, arising from the unwillingness of some youths to engage in useful ventures.
Kalu, however, granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 each with a surety in like sum.
He said that the sureties must be resident in Umuahia and must be tax payers, who should provide two passport photographs each.
He adjourned the case to April 20, 2018, for further hearing.
NAN reports that Onyeaghara was apprehended on March 10, while escaping from NAN office, after removing electric wires from the ceiling of the office complex.
During police investigation, he gave the names of three of his accomplices, including the second accused, Ihechiluru, who was later arrested by the police
while others were still at large.