No fewer than seven men appeared before the Federal High Court in Lagos State on Monday over an alleged move to tamper with a petroleum product pipeline.
The defendants, Godbless Ebi, Saheed Abdulrahman, Gabriel Otovor, Anthony Arubayan, Emmanuel Ajayi, John Adebayo, and Godwin Joseph, were arraigned before Justice Abimbola Awogboro on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawfully tampering with a petroleum pipeline.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Prosecution counsel, Mrs O. Halima, earlier told the court that the defendants committed the offences on January 10 at Obawole, Fagba, Lagos State.
The prosecutor noted that the alleged offences contravened sections 1(19) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Law of the Federation, 2004.
The court granted the defendants bail of five million Naira each, with two sureties in like sum.
The court also ordered that one of the sureties must have landed property.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro subsequently adjourned the case until March 11 for trial.
The court, however, ordered that the defendants be kept at the Ikoyi custodial facility, pending the perfection of their bail.