The police in Ekiti has dragged four persons before the Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing 52 heads of cattle valued at N10 million.
The defendants, Musa Mohammed, 30, Suleiman Musa, 65, Ibrahim Musa, 35, and Ali Mohammed, 45, whose addresses were not provided, face a count charge of stealing.
The prosecutor, Sodiq Adeniyi, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on September 23 at about 10:00 a.m. in Ilupeju-Ekiti.
Adeniyi alleged that the defendants stole the 52 head of cattle valued at N10 million belonging to Tope Ajayi.
He said the complainant gave the herd of cattle to the defendants to rear for him, and when he needed some for a function was told that they were stolen.
The prosecutor said 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, Dolapo Kay-Williams, granted N250,000 bail to the defendants and ordered them to provide two sureties each to stand for them.
She adjourned the case till November 11 for a hearing.