By Yemi Oyeyemi , Abuja
These are terrible times for 23-year old dismissed policeman, Sergeant Musa Musa.
Apart from being dismissed for allegedly burgling the Gwarinpa home of former President Goodluck Jonathan, he has to cough out N7 million to be released on bail, going by a court order in Abuja on Tuesday.
Magistrate Marbel Segun-Bello of Magistrate Court Wuse 2 Abuja, declared: “The law is clear about right to liberty. Bail is granted to allow the accused attend trial.
“Where it is perceived that the accused may jump bail, he may be denied.”
Though, the Nigeria Police said it arrested three of its officers for stealing items valued at several millions of naira from the Abuja residence of the former president, only Musa was docked.
After the one count charge in the police first information report dated 8th August, 2017, was read to Musa, he denied committing the offence.
This prompted Musa’s lawyer, Gabriel Egbule to move his bail application.
Specifically, the charge accused Musa of house breaking, mischief and theft contrary to Sections 353, 326 and 288 of the Penal Code Law Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
The charge reads, “That you Musa Musa a dismissed police officer on the 5th day of July 2017 unlawfully broke into the residence of Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan situate at Gwarinpa within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and stole all the internal fittings, Furnitures,cloth,Electrical Fittings, Water Heaters,Kitchen Shelves, Wardrobes, Chandelier, Refrigerators, Door and went further to steal canopies and hide same in the premises valued at Thirty Million Naira belonging to the Former President and thereby committed the above mention offence”
Though, the prosecution counsel Stanley Nwodo objected to the bail application, however, Magistrate Segun Bello upheld the submission of the defence lawyer.
Consequently, the court granted bail to the tune of N7million to Musa.
Trial has been slated for October 3rd.
Some of the items stolen include sets of furniture, dozens of plasma television sets, refrigerators, air-conditioner units and box-loads of clothes such as designer suits imprinted with the former president’s name, male and female Ijaw traditional attires, lace materials and bowler hats.
List of clothes said to have been stolen and sold were; Niger Delta traditional attires in about 20 Ghana-must-go sacks; Suits, each one with “President Jonathan” inscribed in the inner side, in five big Ghana-must-go sacks; About 10 big Ghana-must-go sacks of women attires made from lace materials sewn in Niger Delta style; More than 10 bundles of Ankara materials, known as Atamfa; About 10 sets of babban riga; One big Ghana-must-go sack containing clothes with PDP logo neatly sewn on each one; About 20 Niger Delta bowler hats.
Some of the electrical appliances and furniture alleged to have been moved by the policemen were; 36 Plasma televisions; About 25 refrigerators; Five sets of furniture; Two sets of sitting room chairs, and several air conditioner units.
