4 Ekiti men charged with theft of cables

• …1 for possessing pistol

The Ekiti State Police Command has charged four suspects in a magistrates’ court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, over alleged theft of 8,700 metres of armoured cable belonging to the Ekiti State Electricity Board.

The prosecutor, Inspector Akinwale Oriyomi, told the court that the defendants, Adekunle Afolami (53), Olalekan Abass (38), Kazeem Hammed (47) and Mohammed Abdulkareem (27), and others at large between November, 2023, and February 19, in Ado-Ekiti, conspired and stole 8,700 metres of cable valued at N12,6.m.

The prosecutor said that one of the defendants, Abdulkareem, on February 21, beside the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ado-Ekiti, received the stolen cable from the three other defendants.

Counsels to the defendants, Barristers CO Omokafe and Iyanu Olumuwagun, urged the court to grant them bail.

The Magistrate, A Olarewaju Owoleso, granted a bail of N3m to the defendants and adjourned the case to March 20.

Similarly, the police arraigned a man, Olarinde David (27), in the court over alleged illegal possession of a locally made pistol.

Inspector Oriyomi told the court that the defendant on February 13, in Ado-Ekiti was caught for unlawful possession of a locally made pistol.

Counsel to the defendant, Barr A . Aladesuyi, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

Mr Owoleso granted a bail of N70,000 and adjourned the case to March 28.