A 36-year-old farm manager, Patrick Olusegun, has been apprehended in Abuja on charges of stealing chickens valued at N5.4 million.

Olusegun, a resident of Lugbe, Abuja, appeared before the Kado Grade 1 Area Court on Tuesday, September 12, where he pleaded not guilty to the theft allegations.

The prosecution, presented by Mr. Stanley Nwafoaku, disclosed that the case was reported by Mr. Ajayi Elijah of Wale John Farms, Lugbe, Abuja, on September 8.

According to Nwafoaku, the complainant had hired the defendant in July to oversee his poultry farm, which housed over 1000 birds.

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Upon conducting an inventory check, the complainant discovered that 542 birds with a total worth of N5.4 million were missing.

The prosecutor claimed that the defendant was subsequently arrested, and during the police investigation, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the disappearance of the chickens.

The alleged theft contravened Section 289 of the Penal Code. The Area Court Judge, Mr. Mohammed Wakili, granted the defendant bail in the sum of one million Naira, with one surety required to post an equal amount and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

The case is scheduled for a hearing on October 10.