Man In Trouble Over N20m Bond For Suspected Criminal

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A man, Mr. Obikwere Ibeh may have to spend the rest of his life in prison after he entered a bond of N20m and stood as surety for a suspected criminal, one David Ngene in Lagos.

 P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Mr. Ngene, escaped after being granted bail. The police then asked Mr. Ibeh produce him or bring the N20m bond he entered on behalf of Ngene.

The incident happened at X-Squad of the Police Command, Lagos where Mr. Ibeh had gone and released Ngene on bail.

It was gathered that Mr. David Ngene was involved in a criminal matter of conspiracy, obtaining and stealing to about the same amount of money under bond. He was arrested and detained at the Command before Ibeh went there, stood as surety and entered into N20m bond.

It was learnt that Ibeh assured the police that he knew Ngene very well and that he will not escape if he was granted bail. He equally assured the police that he will produce him anytime they requested him to do so. The police released Ngene to him on the bond of N20m and they left the command.

However, when the police contacted Ibeh and asked him to produce Ngene as he had promised, he contacted Ngene but was unable to locate him. It was learnt that after Ngene was released from custody, he realised that the police had enough evidence that will land him a long prison term and had no money to refund to the complainant in order to settle the matter, he then ran away.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that when Ibeh contacted Ngene on phone, he told him that he had ran away and will not come back as he did not want to go to prison over the matter. How to locate Ngene became a problem as the police asked Ibeh to produce him or bring the N20m bond he entered if he jumped bail and he was unable to meet any of the conditions.

He was arrested and charged before Ikeja Magistrates court for perversion of justice and failure to meet the bond he had entered.

He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Mr. Promise Olatunji did not object the application for bail by his counsel.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Y.O. Aje-Afunwa granted him bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum.
The matter had been adjourned till 19 June, 2018.