Court Slams Two Siblings With N20,000 Bail Condition For Stealing 2 Fowls Worth N30,000

Two siblings, Ekene Ognwe, 18 and Goodluck Ognwe, 14, were on Friday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing fowls valued at ₦30,000.

The defendants, of no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a charge of stealing. The Prosecutor, Insp Sodiq Adeniyi, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on October 17 at about 06:00 am in Ado-Ekiti.

Adeniyi said that the two brothers stole two fowls valued at ₦30,000, belonging to one Uche Elizabeth. Adeniyi said that the offence contravened Section 302(1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

He urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him to study the file and assemble his witnesses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that upon inquiry by the court, the second said that he did not accompany his elder brother to where he stole the fowls. He said that Ekene only called him to come and pick one fowl because they were not living together.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them. Their counsel, Oluwafemi Alabi, urged the court to grant the defendants bail, with a promise that they would not jump bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Dolamu Babalogbon, granted the first defendant bail for ₦20,000, with one surety in like sum and discharged the second defendant. Babalogbon adjourned the case till October 31 for a hearing.