BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun state, has sentenced one Kehinde Adegoriti to one year imprisonment for stealing a phone.
Adegoroti, aged 22, was accused of stealing an Infinix handset valued at N55,000 which belonged to one Bankola Biola.
According to the police prosecutor, John Idoko, the accused committed the offence on the 16th day of May 2019 at about 1:00pm at Ayetoro Osogbo.
Idoko explained to the court that one Infinix hot 6 phone, two MTN Sim cards, glo sim card, and Airtel sim card were found in Adegproti’s possession and that these items were reasonably suspected to have been stole.
He said the offences are contrary to and punishable under section 419, 390(9) and 430(1) of the criminal code cap 34 voll II laws of Osun state of Nigeria 2002.
Adegoroti, who was not legally represented, pleaded guilty to the allegations.
The accused person, while begging for clemency, informed the court that he stole the phone and other items in order to offset the hospital bill of his father, who had been critically ill and admitted in a hospital in the state.
Presiding Magistrate, Rofiat Olayemi, thereafter found Adegoroti guilty of the first and second counts and convicted him accordingly.
Olayemi sentenced the accused person to six month imprisonment for the first and second counts each with an option of N20,000 fine.
For the third count, the court adjourned till September 2, 2019 and ordered the prosecutor to confirm whether the complainant is the true owner of the stolen phone on the adjourned date.
