BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has convicted an apprentice, Izunna Okoye, and three others to nine years and five months imprisonment for allegedly stealing goods worth 17 Million from a businesswoman and buying stolen goods.
Okoye, aged 18, was convicted for stealing while three others, including Aluma Chimezie, aged 21; Onumara Chukwuma, 35; and Benet Anyalechi, aged 69; were convicted for buying stolen cartons of tobacco leaves from him.
The teenager was alleged of stealing 126 cartons of tobacco leaves from his master, Nnamdi Adimorah, in the Abakaliki main market sometime in 2017. He was eventually caught in the act on August 3, 2019.
Okoye was said to have broken into his master’s warehouse in Abakaliki on three different occasions within the space of three years, carting away goods worth N17, 020,000 which he allegedly sold to Chimezie, Chukwuma and Anyalechi.
The charge brought against them read that “Izunna Okoye, Aluma Chimezie, Onumara Chukwuma and Benet Anyalechi, sometime in the year 2017, 2018 and 3rd of August 2019 at the Abakaliki Main Market in the Abakaliki judicial division, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit, stealing.
“You (Okoye) at the same time and place, did steal 126 cartons of tobacco leaves valued at N17, 020,000 property of Nnamdi Adimorah
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“You (Okoye) at the same time and place, did steal 126 cartons of tobacco leaves valued at N17, 020,000 property of Nnamdi Adimorah.”
The offences were said to have contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
Having found them guilty as charged, the court presided over by Justice Iheanacho Chima, sentenced the three buyers to three years imprisonment with option of N500, 000 fines each.
The apprentice’s jail term was reduced to five months with option of N200, 000 having been in custody while awaiting trial in 2020.
The complainant’s counsel, Lilian Ngene, thanked the court on the ruling while N.M Nweke, J. N. Otah, Livinus Nworie and C. A. Ayamekhue, counsels to the convicts, expressed appreciation for giving their clients an option of fine.
