Lukman Olabiyi
A 32- year-old man, Francis Joseph who stole an Apple Mac Book Laptop computer from a church, during worship service, has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Lagos State Magistrate Court, Igbosere.
The defendant was arraigned on July 10, on a count charge of stealing before Magistrate Mrs M.O Ope-Agbe.
During the convict’s arraignment, the prosecutor, Sergeant Cyriacus Osuji, had told the court that the offence was committed at Elevation Church auditorium in Lekki on 1, Redemption Drive, Jakande, first gate Lekki.
Osuji said the convict stole the laptop, on February 13, at about 2pm.
He said that the laptop was worth N375,000, property of one Osaretin Eyimisan.
According to him, the offence committed is punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2015.
However, the convict pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
Consequently, Magistrate Ope-Agbe granted him bail in the sum of N200,000, with one surety, who is gainfully employed.
She had ordered that the surety must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government, means of identification and have his address verified.
The court had adjourned the case till September 30, for mention. But when the matter came up, the convict changed his plea from not guilty to guilty
As a result of the plea changing, the court order the prosecutor, Osuji to review the facts of the case.
In the fact review, Osuji told the court that the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) of the church had captured the convict on the day he stole the laptop.
He said: “After the convict left, they discovered that the laptop in the auditorium had been stolen, so they checked the CCTV, and saw that the person, had been captured, and then waited to see if he would come back again’.
“On July 3, the convict went back to the church and while he was attempting to steal again, the CCTV captured him again and he was apprehended and handed over to the police,” Osuji said.
He ADDED: “During investigation, the sum of N14,000, was recovered from the convict, which he could not gIve any satisfactory explanation of how he got the money.”
“Joseph, told the police during investigation that he took the laptop to Computer Village in Ikeja and sold it for N 100,000.”
After finding the defendant guilty of the offence of stealing, the magistrate convicted him. Before handing down the sentence, she asked him if he had anything to say.
Joseph said: “I have known God now; I will not do that again, have mercy on me.”
Magistrate Ope- Agbe, after listening to the review of the facts and allocutus, sentenced him to one-year imprisonment.