Suleiman Adams, a 35-year-old scavenger, has been charged in Akure Chief Magistrate's Court over the alleged theft of electrical cables and equipment worth N1.5 million. The incident reportedly occurred on March 10, 2026, at around 1:50 p.m. at Bolcent Oil and Gas Filling Station in Shasha Market, along the Akure-Owo Express Road. Adams faces two counts of conspiracy and stealing, alongside an accomplice who is still at large. The property stolen, according to the charge, belonged to Gbenga Bajulaye, the owner of the filling station. The prosecution, led by Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, cited Sections 516 and 390(4)(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Laws of Ondo State 2006, as the legal basis for the charges. With no lawyer present, Adams pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Chief Magistrate Sunday Adedapo granted bail in the sum of N750,000, with one surety required to provide tax clearance for the current year, two passport photographs, and a verified residential address. Pending fulfilment of these conditions, Adams was remanded at the Olokuta correctional facility. The prosecution requested an adjournment to gather witnesses, and the case has been scheduled for hearing on April 11, 2026.
Suleiman Adams' alleged theft of N1.5 million worth of cables from a filling station underscores how infrastructure vandalism continues to plague businesses in urban and semi-urban Nigeria. While the sum demanded as bail may seem steep for a scavenger, the case mirrors broader challenges of poverty, weak deterrence, and the underground market for stolen electrical materials. In Nollywood films, characters like Adams often evoke both scorn and pity — a reminder that real-life crime rarely fits into simple hero-villain scripts.
