A 35-year-old landlord, Peter Okoh, was on Thursday arraigned in a Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly intimidating and evicting his tenant.
The accused, a resident of Jabi, Abuja, is standing trial on a two-count charge of criminal intimidation and theft.
The prosecutor, Insp. Umoh Inah told the court that one Chinedu Udoji of Jabi reported the case at the Criminal Investigations Department, FCT Command, on March 19.
He said the accused served the complainant (the tenant) with a summons from the magistrates’ court at Zone 2, Wuse, Abuja, on March 16.
Before the complainant could appear in court on March 26, the accused mobilised four soldiers and two “area boys” to evict him from his house on March 17, Inah said.
“The complainant was beaten up by the gang and the accused forcefully packed the complainant’s property and threw them outside.’’
Inah said some of the complainant’s property was damaged in the process in addition to the theft of N650, 000 by the accused.
The offences, he said, contravened Sections 287 and 397 of the Penal Code.
Section 397 states that whoever commits criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or seven years if the threat is to cause death, grievous hurt or destruction of property or with a fine or both.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that Section 287 provides a five-year jail term, a fine or both.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the accused, Mr Charles Ndukwe, urged the court to grant him bail, promising he will not jump bail.
The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with a surety, who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
Further hearing in the case was adjourned till May 15.
Source: leadership
