A 28-year-old man, Matthew Francis, was arraigned on Thursday before a Kaduna Magistrates’ Court over allegations of stealing four solar panels valued at N650,000.
The police accused Francis, a resident of the Barnawa area of Kaduna, of conspiracy and theft.
Prosecutor Inspector Chidi Leo informed the court that the defendant, alongside accomplices who are still at large, committed the offences on 12 December at about 6:00 a.m. at the Barnawa Complex in Kaduna.
Leo stated that Francis was caught attempting to flee after stealing the solar panels from a plaza. The offences, he added, contravene the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
Francis pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Presiding over the matter, Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000, with one surety in like amount.
The Magistrate ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and provide evidence of tax payment to the Kaduna State Government.
The case was adjourned until 15 January 2025 for hearing.
