A 30-year-old cattle rearer, Ahmed Yahaya, accused of stealing cow in his care, has been charged before an Ilorin Magistrate Court.

The accused of Yowere Fulani Camp, via Alapa, Kwara State, was said to have mismanaged some cows handed over to him by one Abubakar Mohammed of Ile-Tolotolo Compound, Oloje, Ilorin. He was charged on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and breach of-trust.

The Police arrested the accused, on the strength of complaint that sometimes in November, 2012 the complainant entrusted five cows of four male and a female valued N400,000 to him and his elder brother, Tunde Yahayah (now at large) to rear for him.

However, the accused was able to account for the female cow valued N80,000 only.

Police First Information Report (FIR) on the matter stated that during interrogation, the accused denied the allegation.

The alleged offences contradict Section 97 and 312 of Penal Code, Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Biliqa Adu, who told the court thait investigation into the matter is still ongoing, objected to the bail of the accused and urged the court to remand him at the federal prison custody, Ilorin, till the next adjourned date. She submitted further that the alleged offence was not ordinarily bailable and that if the accused was granted bail he might jump bail having known the gravity of the offence.

The defence counsel, Barrister Hammed A.T. prayed the court to admit the accused to bail pending trial, submitting that if the accused is release on bail he would not jump bail and would provide reliable sureties.

The trial magistrate, Mrs. K.A. Yahaya, up held the submission of the defence and stated that refusing the bail of the accused would amount to pre-trial punishment, since the law still presumed him innocent of the allegation until contrary is proved.

Consequently, the court admitted the accused to bail at the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in the same amount. The sureties must be people who are ordinarily residence within the jurisdiction of the court, while one of the sureties must be a Civil Servant of Grade Level 12 in the Kwara State Civil Service.

The court adjourned the case till June 27, 2012 for further mention