The Police on Wednesday arraigned four herdsmen before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing 52 cattle in Ekiti State valued at N10 million. The suspects were identified as Musa Mohammed, 30, Suleiman Musa, 65, Ibrahim Musa, 35 and Ali Mohammed, 45. They are being prosecuted on a count charge of stealing.
The prosecutor, Inspector Sodiq Adeniyi, briefed the court that the suspects committed the offence on September 23 at about 10.00 a.m. in Ilupeju-Ekiti.
Adeniyi alleged that the defendants stole the 52 cattle valued at N10 million belonging to Tope Ajayi.
He said the complainant gave the cattle to the defendants to rear for him but when he needed some for a function he was told that they were stolen.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 302 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to assemble his witnesses and produce them to give evidence in court.
Counsel to the defendants, Timi Omotosho, urged the court to grant his clients bail, with a promise that they would not jump bail.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Dolapo Kay-Williams, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N250,000 each and ordered them to provide two sureties each to stand for them.
She adjourned the case till November 11 for hearing.