FOUR teenagers in Osun State were on Tuesday sentenced to five years imprisonment each for breaking a police cell’s iron door and escaping.
The convicts are Adeleke Azeez, aged 20; Isola Segun, 18; Odewale Maliq,18; and Ayoola Pelumi,15.
The youngsters were earlier arraigned and remanded at Ilesa correctional center on July 28, 2020 over a three count-charge bordering on unlawful escape and willful damage of police custody.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, told the court when the matter was mentioned for hearing that the convicts committed the offence on July 27, 2020 at about 3:00am at Dugbe police Station, Osogbo.
He alleged that the young boys damaged the iron door of the cell and the roofing sheet of the police station before escaping from the custody.
They were said to have escaped before the police officers on duty discovered.
According to Adeoye, the offence committed by the convicts was contrary to and punishable under Section 516,135(a) and 151(b) Cap 34 Vol ll Law of Osun State 2002.
The four convicts pleaded guilty to the jailbreak allegation.
Their counsel, Adedoyin Ajewole, urged the court to temper Justice with mercy in sentencing them.
Ajewole begged the court to caution and discharge them because they are young and if sentenced, they may not be rehabilitated in the correctional center.
Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Abayomi Ajala sentenced the convicts to two years imprisonment for the first count, another two years for the second count and one year for the third count.
Ajala said the jail terms were to run concurrently. He, however, gave the convicts an option of N9,000 fine each with six strokes of cane for each of them.
