A Mapo Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday jailed a 20-year-old man, Olalekan Adebisi, for six months for stealing 50 pieces of mosquito nets.
The Senior Magistrate, Mrs. Mercy Aderounmu, noted that the convict had already spent five months in Agodi Prison due to his inability to perfect the bail conditions of N50,000 earlier granted him.
The magistrate said he would now do a community service for four weeks within the court premises.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adebisi, of no fixed address, was first arraigned on June 7 on one count of stealing.
He then pleaded ‘not guilty’ and was admitted to bail with two sureties in like sum, but he could not perfect the bail conditions.
Adebisi later changed his plea to ‘guilty’ on November 13, after spending five months in prison custody, and the case was adjourned until November 20 for facts and sentences.
Presenting the facts before the court on Monday, the prosecutor, Cpl. Philip Amusan, said Adebisi, on May 30, jumped the fence of Bode Health Centre, Ibadan, and stole 50 pieces of mosquito nets.
Amusan added that Adebisi, on June 3 at about 5.00 a.m came back to the health centre and scaled the fence in an attempt to steal again.
He said Adebisi was arrested in the process by one of the security guards attached to the health centre and was later handed over to the police.
The prosecutor further told the court that Adebisi sold the nets to some buyers he could not identify.
Amusan said the offence contravened Section 509 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State 2000. (NAN)
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
