A 31-year-old man, Nurudeen Raimi, was on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly stealing meat worth N67,000 in a Lagos market.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Clement Okuoimose, said that the accused, whose occupation was not stated, committed the offence sometime in May 2010 in Agege, Lagos. He alleged that Raimi, a resident of Iyana Igbenimi Street, Bariga, Lagos, stole the cow meat belonging to one Mr Ibrahim Danbaba. Okuoimose said the accused approached Danbaba to buy meat, and during the bargaining, Danbaba excused himself to urinate.

The prosecutor said that while Danbaba was away, the accused bolted with the meat without paying. He said that the complainant did not see the accused in the market until 2017, when he got him arrested. Okuoimose said the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 prescribes three years jail term for a person convicted of stealing. The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. The Magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Ekogbule adjourned the case until June 5.