A 20-year-old scavenger, Haruna Usman, was arraigned in the Zuba Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly stealing 10 turkeys worth N530,000.

The police charged Usman, who lives in the Dutse Alhaji area of Abuja, with theft.

The prosecution counsel, Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, Comfort Musa of Dei-Dei Police Barrack Abuja, reported the matter at the Zuba Police Station on May 18.

Mr Ogada said the complainant claimed that between April and May 2024,  the defendant stole her 10 turkeys worth N 530,000.

The prosecutor said that during the police investigation, two turkey birds were recovered fromAwaisu Mato of Dei-Dei, who confessed that he bought them from Rabiu Musa.

He told the court that Musa also made a confessional statement that the defendant sold the two birds to him.

Mr Ogada said the defendant could not give a satisfactory account of his actions, and the offence contravened sections 288 of the Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mr Ogada prayed the court to grant him a date to open his case against the defendant.

Magistrate Abdulazeez Mohammed admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in like sum.

Mr Mohammed ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and produce reliable means of identification.

He adjourned the matter until  June 25 for a hearing.

(NAN)