Judiciary
THE Police on Thursday arraigned a 56-year old civil servant, Patricia Ufot, at a Dei-dei Grade 1 Area Court, Shagari Quarters, Abuja, for allegedly causing N1m loss to a farmer.
Ufot, of phase 2 site 1, Kubwa Abuja, was charged with inciting disturbance of public peace and causing mischief.
The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge against her.
The Prosecution Counsel, Chinedu Ogada, told the court that Joseph Okogbue of Kudu resettlement Kubwa, Abuja, reported the matter at Kubwa police station on June 16, at about 6:00 p.m.
Ogada alleged that the accused acted in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace, after being warned by the development control and environmental agency.
He told the court that the officials of the agency had on several occasions cautioned the accused to allow the flow of water to the water ways around her residence.
The prosecutor, however, alleged that the accused intentionally ignored the warnings and blocked the waterways, saying her actions caused the water to flood the complainant’s house.
He alleged that the flood destroyed the complainant’s poultry farm, killing 56 birds, valued at N150,000 and 102 bags of bird feeds, valued at N918,000, a total loss of N1, 068,000.
According to Ogada, the action caused Mr Okogbue a wrongful loss, stating that the offence contravenes Section 183 and 327 of the Penal Code Law.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Sulyman Ola, however, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100, 000, with one surety in like sum.
Ola ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, have a reliable means of livelihood and an identity card, which must be verified by the court registrar.
He adjourned the matter until Aug. 23, for hearing. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Sulyman Ola
