The police on Wednesday arraigned five suspected vandals before Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, for allegedly vandalising and stealing 30 tons of railway tracks.
The five men are Moshood Agboola, 43; Abdulahi Sumaila, 56; Sefiu Mohammadu, 44; Sanni Mohammed, 27; and Waheed Ayinde, 56.
They all pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge of conspiracy, malicious damage, unlawful possession and stealing brought against them.
Consequently, the judge ordered the defendants to be remanded in Agodi Custodial Centre and adjourned the suit until Dec. 7 to hear the bail application.
The prosecuting counsel, CSP Olufunke Fawole, had earlier told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the crime on July 2, at about 8.30 a.m., in Aagba Village, via Orile-Igbon, Oyo State.
Fawole said that Agboola, Mohammadu, Mohammed and Ayinde were arrested in possession of rail tracks weighing 30 tons.
According to the prosecutor, none of the defendants gave a satisfactory account of how they came about the rail irons, valued at N50 million, property of the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
She added that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 516, 451, 390(9), and 430 of the Criminal Code Act Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of the Federation 2004.
