SARS Arraigns Four Over Robbery Offences

The Rivers State Special Armed Robbery Squad otherwise known as SARS has arraigned four middle aged men before a Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court for offences of attempted armed robbery and other criminal offences.

The accused persons, Yusuf Taiwo, 25, Tamuno Egieremie, 25, Friday Ofara, 30 and Addell Lazarus, 30 are standing trial on a three count charges bordering on attempted armed robbery, possession of locally mad fire arm and other criminal offences before a Chief Magistrate Court presided over by E.C. Woke.

The Tide learnt that the accused persons on the 28th day of April, 2012, along Refinery Road in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State did arm themselves with locally made pistols to dispossess people of their properties before they were intercepted and arrested by men of the State Special Armed Robbery Squad, (SARS).

The prosecuting Police Officer, Inspector Godwin Nwanam told the court that the accused persons on 28th April 2012 along Refinery Road in Eleme within the jurisdiction of the Port Harcourt Magisterial District did conspire among themselves to commit felony to wit attempted armed robbery.

The Police prosecution further told the court that the accused persons on the same date and place in the aforesaid magisterial District armed themselves with locally made pistol and attempted to commit armed robbery.

According to the prosecution, when the suspects were arrested by the security operatives in the area, four rounds of live cartridges were also found in their possession adding that when they were interrogated, the suspects could not give satisfactory account on how they possessed of the ammunitions.

The prosecution declared that the accused persons committed offences punishable under section 403, 516 (A) and 428 (A) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 11 Laws of the Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty in all the charges brought against them.

However, the presiding chief magistrate, E.C. Woke granted the accused persons bail in like sum of N500,000 and three surety each and each surety must be a civil servant and a business man who must have a means of living in the state.