The police in Benue State, on Friday, arraigned two men, Usman Aliyu and Monday Mbah, before a Makurdi Upper Area Court 2 for alleged criminal conspiracy, willful destruction of public property and theft.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Rachael Mchiave, told the court that the case was transferred from the divisional police headquarters, Igumale, Ado LGA, to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi, via a letter no. AR:3100 BNS AD/VOL.1/40, dated January 24.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Mchiave said the police acted on the information received on November 1, 2022, from Chief George Isah, the acting clan head of Ukwong Utonkon, to the Divisional Police Officer, Igumale.
She said Isah claimed that some youths in the Utonkon area vandalised and stole railway tracks, popularly known as railway slippers.
The police prosecutor said a team of policemen, led by Innocent Ekere, rushed to the scene and arrested some suspects, with 355 pieces of railway iron recovered from them.
She said that they were all later arraigned before the Upper Area Court II, Makurdi.
Mchiave further stated that Aliyu and Mbah, who were hitherto at large, were later arrested, while others were still at large.
She said the defendants contravened sections 97 and 288 of the Panel Code Law, 2004 and Section 1(3) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.
The police prosecutor, who said investigation into the matter was still ongoing, requested additional time to complete it.
However, when the case came up for mention, no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction.
The magistrate, Mrs Dooshima Ikpambese, ordered the defendants to be remanded in the Federal Maximum Custodial Centre, Makurdi.
She, thereafter, adjourned the case till February 17 for further mention.
