Abuja: A 21-year-old man, Shuaibu Aliyu, was on Wednesday arraigned before a Senior Magistrates’ Court in Dutse, Abuja, on charges of allegedly stealing a generator from a mosque. Aliyu, who works as a security guard and resides in Sagwari Duste, is facing a one-count charge of theft and has pleaded not guilty.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the prosecutor, Mr. Babajide Olanipekun, informed the court that the complainant, Ukasha Adam of Sagwari Duste, had reported the incident at the Duste Police Station on June 10. Adam discovered that the thermocool generator, valued at N150,000, was missing from the mosque premises. During the search, the generator was traced back to the defendant.
Olanipekun stated that police investigations led to the recovery of the generator from Aliyu. The defendant claimed that he purchased the generator from an unidentified individual for N35,000 but failed to provide any purchase documentation. The prosecutor noted that the actions of the defendant contravened Section 287 of the Penal Code.
Naomi Abang, counsel to the defendant, requested that the court grant her client bail, highlighting that the generator had been recovered. However, Senior Magistrate Yusuf Alkali ordered that Aliyu be remanded in police custody pending the bail application ruling. The case has been adjourned until June 29 for further proceedings.