Guard docked for allegedly poisoning his neighbour’s goats, sheep

A 40-year-old security guard, Adamu Yahaya, was on Friday docked before a Life Camp Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly poisoning his neighbour’s goats and sheep .

The police charged Yahaya, who lives in Idu Industrial Area, Abuja, with mischief, criminal intimidation, and voluntarily causing hurt without provocation.

The prosecution counsel, Charity Nwachukwu, told the court that the complainants: Kingsley Ayawa and Maywell Kanu, all of Tasha I Gwagwa, Abuja reported the matter at the Karmo Police Station on May 9.

Nwachukwu said that the defendant threatened to kill the goats and sheep if they continued to eat the pepper he planted on his farm.

She told the court that on May 8, the defendant killed the complainant’s 20 goats and three sheep worth N2.7 million.

She told the court that the defendant caused a wrongful loss to the complainants.

She said when the complainants confronted the defendant, he attacked them with a cutlass and in the process he inflicted injury on Ayawa’s hand.

The prosecutor said that during the police investigation, the defendant made a confessional statement.

Nwachukwu said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 330, 397, and 246 of the Penal Code.

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

The prosecutor prayed the court to grant her a date to open her case against the defendant.

The defendant’s counsel, Lillian Ibrahim, made an oral application for the defendant bail citing Section 36 (5) of the1999 constitution and Section 165 (1), 158, 162, of Administration of criminal justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

• Shadow Government: Utomi tackles DSS
• Guard docked for allegedly poisoning his neighbour’s goats, sheep
• AFP photojournalist calls for end to impunity against journalists
• NSF: We’re set to secure residents, visitors — Police
• Tinubu to Bishops: We won’t tolerate evil disguised as insurgency

Ibrahim told the court that the parties are neighbours, adding that bail is at the discretion of the court and prayed the court to grant the defendant bail in the most liberal terms.

She submitted in addition that the defendant will not jump bail and that he is on police administrative bail.

The Judge, Musa Jobbo, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with a surety each in like sum.

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

The magistrate adjourned the matter until July 3 for hearing.