By Our Correspondent
An Effurun Magistrate Court has remanded 20 years old, Emmanuel Ejemudaro in prison custody for car theft.
The car a Toyota Camry with registration number, KPE 387 AA belonging to one Mrs. Treasure Efemiemie was reportedly stolen from where it was parked at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Sunrise Parish along Jakpa Road, Effurun, Delta State.
The Magistrate at court 4, in the reading of charge No. ME/243/C/2014, said “that you Emmanuel Ejemudaro ‘m’ Sunday Udoh ‘m’ and Romarua Akpode ‘m’ on 19th of October 2014, at Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jakpa Road Ekpan, in the Effurun Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 (21) vol.1 laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006”
The defendants are also being arraigned for stealing the sum of N20,000 (TWENTY THOUSAND NARIA) and willfully damaging the said car, value at N1,000,000 (ONE MILLION NAIRA) offences she said were both punishable under sections 390 (9) of the criminal code, cap (21) vol.1 law of Delta State of Nigeria 2006 respectively.
The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the thee court charges. They were however granted bail with the sum of N100,000 (ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND) with a surety in like sum, while the principal accused person Emmanuel Ejemudaro was remanded in prison custody for failure to meet bail conditions.
In a brief chat, the owner to the car, Mrs. Treasure Efemiemie said the car thief had followed her to the church and sat beside her unknowingly to her while the church service was on.
According to Treasure Efemiemie the car keys were kept inside her bible when she was going to the altar for call that was made. On getting back to her seat, the car keys had disappeared. She promptly reported to the ushers who went to the place where she had packed the car but the car was nowhere to be found. The case was subsequently reported to the police
The video recorded in the course of the church service was then played and used to identify the car thief.
Emmanuel was said to have confessed that he had the intention of selling the car for N250,000.(TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND NAIRA).
He said the car somersaulted on his way to Sapele and was kept in the workshop of the second and third accused person, mechanic and panel beater respectively.
A buyer who was contacted insisted on having the original particulars of the car.
Luck ran out of the first accused when he brought the buyer to his house in Warri to collect the papers and unable to produce the car particulars, the accused then took the buyer to Alaka Quarter in Effurun where the thief raised a false alarm leading to the beating up of the buyer, and dispossession of his N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) by a mob. The buyer was said to have gone to the police station to report a case of assault by the first accused leading to his arrest.
The accused Emmanuel Ejemudaro would be cooling his feet in prison custody till the next adjourned date of November 11, 2014.
