Woman remanded over stolen BlackBerry phone

An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court Friday ordered that a 22-year-old woman be remanded in prison custody pending the conclusion of investigation over a stolen BlackBerry handset case, in which the woman was accused of demanding N25,000 ransom to return the phone.

Comfort Ameh of no fixed address, was arraigned for theft, an offence contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code.

Prosecutor Philips Akogwu stated in court that on June 1, the nominal complainant, Sunday Shaka, reported at Asokoro Police Station that on May 31, he gave the accused a lift in his car from Nyanya General Hospital’s Junction to Nyanya Phase 4 and she stole his Blackberry phone valued at N75,000 and an envelope containing N10,000 without his knowledge.

The prosecutor said when the complainant discovered what had happened, he called his Black Berry phone number and the accused demanded for N25,000 as ransom, to be paid to her Oceanic Bank account number 310001020915 before she will return the phone at a designated place in Asokoro.

He said the complainant played along with the woman and paid the money into her account as well as alerted the police, who tracked the accused.

“During police investigation into the case, the accused was arrested while trying to withdraw the money from her bank account and the Blackberry phone was recovered from behind a big signboard, near Mogadishu Cantonment,” the prosecutor added.

When the charge was read to the accused, she pleaded not guilty and requested for bail, which was opposed by the prosecutor,  on the grounds that the accused will jump bail if granted, since she has no fixed address and investigations were yet to be concluded.

Chief Magistrate Azubuike Okeagu ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to July 7 for hearing.