A scavenger named Haruna Umar was remanded in jail on Thursday by a Grade I Area Court in Karu, Abuja, for allegedly stealing electrical cables from the Nigerian Navy.
Umar, 33, of no known address, was accused by the police of illegal trespass, criminal conspiracy, mischief, and theft.
The defendant's bail was postponed by the judge, Mr Umar Mayana, and the matter was continued until February 10 for a decision.
The defendant must remain in the Keffi Correctional Center while an investigation is conducted, as per Mayana's order.
Earlier, Sgt. Balogun Adewumi of the Nigerian Navy reported the incident to the Asokoro Police Station, according to the prosecution's attorney, Mr Olanrewaju Osho.
Osho said in court that on January 14, the defendant and a man named Dada Yellow—who is currently at large—committed a plot to trespass onto the Navy Estate property and steal electrical lines.
Included in this are 18 rolls of 2.5 mm cables, costing N378,000, 11 rolls of earth cables, worth N132,000, and 22 rolls of 1.5 mm electrical cables, totalling N264,000.
Twelve rolls of 4mm electrical cables worth N360,000, seven rolls of 16mm cables worth N840,000, and a shattered pop ceiling worth N120,000 are among the additional items the defendant is accused of stealing.
The prosecution estimates that the combined market worth of all the taken and damaged goods is N2.094 million.
Osho said that 16 rolls of electrical cable were found on the accused and that he had confessed to the crime during the police investigation.
According to the prosecution, the offence violated Sections 348, 97, 327, and 287 of the Penal Code.
Umar, on the other hand, entered a not-guilty plea. (NAN)