Scavenger Arraigned For Stealing
A 33-year old man, Olalekan Rauf, who allegedly pretended to be a scavenger, has been arraigned by the police for stealing.
The accused was arrested around the premises of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and was brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Iwo-road area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Rauf was arraigned on a two count charge of conspiracy to steal and unlawful possession with charge number MNE/35362017.
The prosecutor, inspector E. Adeyeye, told the court that the defendant and one other person on October 12, around 2p.m, entered the house of one of the senior staff of the institution to steal some valuable items.
A security officer of the institution, Mr. Yahaya Taofeek, who arrested the defendant, said that the defendant pretended to be a scavenger who picks discarded metals around the institution, when in fact, he burgled a three bedroom flat belonging to one of the senior staff of the institution who was away on an education tour.
Taofeek said that before the defendant was arrested, he had destroyed all the stolen metal items including other items he had stolen to make people believe that the items are no longer useful.
The stolen items include cooking iron pot, stabilizer, computer set, palm slippers, electricity change over and cooking gas.
He said that when the accused was apprehended, he pleaded that he was going to cooperate with the security of the institution if they promised not to injure him, adding that the other member of the gang fled.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The senior magistrate, S. O Babalola, granted him N20,000 bail with two sureties and adjourned the case to November 20th for further hearing.
