Follow Us on Google
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 26-year-old serial prisoner, Ayelegun Femi, to a seven-year prison without an option of a fine.
Ayelegun Femi was arraigned on a two-count charge of stealing. According to the charge, the convict sometime in the year 2021 at Okuta-gbokuta-lori area of Ado Ekiti, the state capital, did unlawfully steal a phone valued at N45,000 inside a Nissan Almera Tino car with Registration KLE 71 AA, property of one Omoyajowo Olumide, on the same day while committing the crime, the convict broke front door glass of the same car and stole a handbag containing a sum of N200,000.a Dell laptop, valued N240,000 and a phone valued N62, 000.00 property of Mrs Fajuyige Victoria, contrary to and punishable under section 302 (6) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2021.
The charge was read and interpreted to the convict, he claimed to understand the same, thereafter, he pleaded guilty to both charges.
The Police prosecutor, Sergeant Sodiq Adeniyi told the court how the convict was arrested through frantic efforts of the Nigerian Police, the convict is a habitual criminal, he had been imprisoned three times in the past and he urged the court to give him the punishment he deserves, Sadiq said.
In his confession before the court, the convict said, ‘’ I have stolen a lot of phones that I cannot remember and normally sold to Hausa people at Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti, I am an ex-convict, I have been to the prison three times’’ he concluded.
Barrister Kayode Oyeyemi, counsel to the convict, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in view of his guilty plea.
In his judgment, Magistrate Dolamu Williams, said, if the defendant is given a minimum sentence, he will still be a burden to society and to himself.
In view of this, the defendant is sentenced to seven years imprisonment as provided for by Section 302 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
