Muslim cleric, daughter insert needles inside bean-cake for beggars in Lagos

The police have charged a 50-year-old Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, and his daughter, Salamat, 18, before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court in Tinubu for allegedly distributing poisoned ‘akara’, a local snack, to beggars.

The Yusufs, who are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder, were alleged to have inserted needles in the snack before giving them to beggars.

The Prosecuting State Counsel, Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on August 5, 2016 around 2:00p.m. at Offin Street, Balogun, Lagos Island. He alleged that the man and his daughter carried out the act with the intent to endanger the lives of the beggars.

“The Muslim cleric sent his daughter to give the beggars, near the mosque, the bean-cakes, but when one of the beggars opened the bean-cake, he found needles in the middle.

“Other beggars were notified; one of them, who knew the daughter and the school where she teaches, led them there and she was apprehended. She also led them to her father,” he said.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, Mr. Ade Adefulire, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties each in like sum, who must be blood relations and account owners with a deposit of N100, 000 in their bank accounts.

Adefulire adjourned the case to September 29.