The Police on Thursday in Abuja, arraigned a 32-year-old business man, George Istifanus, at the Dutse Grade 1 Area Court for allegedly beating up a liquor trader and her son.
Istifanus, a resident of Baran-goni village in Bwari, was arraigned on a five-count-charge of joint act, drunkenness, criminal force, assault and criminal intimidation, all offences that contravened the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Prosecutor, Mrs Idowu Ojo, told the court that the matter was reported by one Rose John of the same address, on Oct. 21 at the Bwari Police Station.
She explained that on the same date at 5 p.m, the defendant and his brother, Jude Istifanus, presently at large, both went to the complainant’s beer parlour, picked two small bottles of Passa bitters, an alcoholic drink worth N100 each, from the sale point but refused to pay for the items.
Ojo said that when the complainant retrieved the drinks from the defendant and insisted on payment first, he grabbed her and beat her and her son, who had tried to intervene, while threatening to return at night to kill her.
The prosecution said that during police investigation, the defendant had confessed to the crime, blaming his actions on drunkenness.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Hassan Aliyu, admitted the suspect on bail in the sum of N200, 000, with one surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He also adjourned the case until Nov.30 for hearing.
