A surety, Hussaini Yahaya, has been arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State for presenting a fake residential address in a bid to secure bail for a defendant, Ayuba Ali, remanded for theft in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Yahaya was arraigned by the state police command before Magistrate O. Y Adefope on Monday, on two counts of an attempt to pervert justice and cause a breach of peace.
According to the prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, Ali was remanded for stealing on May 4, 2023, and Yahaya signed as surety for his bail, claiming to be a relative, which is false, and also provided a fake residential address of No 9, Oseni Olawale Street, Ikorodu.
Magaji told the court that the defendant was remanded pending when the bail term would be verified by the court, adding that when the information and address provided by Yahaya were verified, it was discovered that the surety lied about his relationship with the suspect and his residential address.
According to Magaji, the offence contravened and is punishable under Sections 168 (d) and 97 (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
The charge read in part, “That you, Hussaini Yahaya, on May 4, 2023, around 3.10m at Chief Magistrate Court 4, Yaba, in the Yaba Magisterial District did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by providing a fake residential address to the aforementioned court in a bid to secure the bail of a defendant, Ayuba Ali, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the two counts preferred against him.
Magistrate Adefope granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties.
The magistrate adjourned the case till June 6, 2023.
