Surety in trouble as suspects disappear without traces

The Police on Tuesday arraigned a 58-year-old man, Inusa Mohammed, in a Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for his inability to produce suspects he stood surety for on December 13, 2017. Mohammed, who resides at Jabi, Abuja, is facing one count of “screening an offender,” contrary to Section 167 of the Penal Code. The prosecutor, Dalhatu Zannah, said that on December 13, 2017, Mohammed signed a Police bail bond for Abdullhamid Ismail and Masa’udu Kashimu, with a promise to produce them when needed in Utako Police Station. Zannah said that Ismail and Kashimu were arrested and brought to Utako Police Station in connection with a case of joint act and theft. He said that since the suspects were admitted on Police bail, they had failed to report at Utako Police Station, and the surety claimed ignorance of their whereabouts. The prosecutor said that on April 29, the surety was asked to produce the suspects, but he failed to do so. The defendant pleaded not guilty, while the judge, Mr. Abubakar Sadiq, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000, and a surety in like sum and adjourned the case until June 14 for hearing. (NAN)]]>