Two security guards, Awalu Yusuf, 28 and Umar Yusuf, 27, were on Wednesday arraigned in a magistrate’s court in Gwagwalada for allegedly stealing T-square iron from a construction site.

The police charged the defendants, who reside in Passo village Gwagwalada, with criminal conspiracy, negligent conduct, breach of trust and theft by servant.

The prosecuting counsel, Dabo Yakubu, told the court that the complainant, Nathaniel Caston of New Kutunku Gwagwalada, Abuja, reported the matter at the police station on September 22.

Mr Yakubu said that the defendants are security guards attached to a building construction firm, adding that on September 21, they were arrested with T-square iron from the company site.

He said that on August 20, one car jack and wheel spanner valued at N25,000 were declared missing from the construction site.

He also said that on September 15, a vibrator machine and concrete mixer valued at N150,000, all totalling 175,000, were also missing from the site.

He said that during the police investigation, they could not give a satisfactory account of the missing items.

He added that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 312, 196 and 289 of the Penal Code.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate, Olatunji Oladunmoye, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N200,000 each and one surety each in like sum, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

Mr Oladunmoye ordered that the sureties must reside in a verifiable address and adjourned the case until October 15 for hearing. 

(NAN