KINGSLEY EBERE
A 45-year old man, Chika Chukwu, has landed in trouble for allegedly standing as surety for N9m on behalf of a suspected criminal, Simon Okechukwu, who was arrested in the case of stealing in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the surety, Mr. Chukwu, has been arrested and charged for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by standing as a surety for Okechukwu, who is now on the run.
The incident happened at Ojo Police Division, where he stood for Okechukwu and promised to bring him whenever the Police needed his attention before he was released from custody.
However, trouble started after Okechukwu was released from custody and he discovered that the Police had enough evidence to present before the Court to jail him over the alleged N9m fraud. He then ran away and disconnected every communication he had with the surety.
When the Police needed Okechukwu’s attention and asked the surety to produce him as he promised, he told the Police that the suspect ran away and he had been unable to locate him.
Thus, the Police arrested and charged him before the Ojo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, under the criminal law of the State, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Chika Chukwu ‘m’ on the 21st day of February, 2025 at about 1600hrs at Ojo Police Station, Ojo, in the Ojo Magisterial District, did conspire to pervert the course of justice by standing as a surety to one SIMON OKECHUKWU ‘M’ in the case of stealing involving N9,056,700.00 (Nine Million, Fifty Six Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira and promised to produce him as and when due, that on 25th February, 2025, till date you failed to do so and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) of Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
He pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Esther Adesulu, asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O.M. Ogun, granted him bail with two sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 30th July, 2025, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.