The police in Ekiti State yesterday arraigned a 52-year-old man, Musa Mohammed, before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly unlawfully receiving an electrical distribution transformer worth N1.3 million.

The defendant, without a fixed address, was arraigned on one count charge of receiving stolen items.The prosecutor, Inspector Olasunkanmi Bamikole, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on August 24, at about 2:00 p.m., in Igede-Ekiti. He said that the defendant unlawfully received one stolen electrical distribution equipment valued at N1.3 million from one Babajide Moshood.

According to him, the stolen item belonged to the Ekiti State government. Bamikole said that the offence contravened Section 343 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.The prosecutor, however, urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him to study the file and assemble his witnesses.

Responding, the defendant’s counsel, Mr Olawumi Olowolafe, urged the court to grant the defendant bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Saka Afunso, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to October 14, for a hearing.