Man, 34, to spend six months in jail for theft

A Lagos State magistrate’s court sitting in Ikeja yesterday sentenced a 34-year-old security guard, Jiga Oseni, to six months imprisonment for stealing copper wire and aluminium valued at N886,000.    The court’s magistrate, Bolanle Osunsanmi, slammed the sentence on Oseni without an option of fine after Oseni had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft. The […]

A Lagos State magistrate’s court sitting in Ikeja yesterday sentenced a 34-year-old security guard, Jiga Oseni, to six months imprisonment for stealing copper wire and aluminium valued at N886,000.  

 The court’s magistrate, Bolanle Osunsanmi, slammed the sentence on Oseni without an option of fine after Oseni had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft. The accused, while pleading for leniency before he was sentenced, told the court that he sold the items to foot his medical bills.

 Police prosecutor, Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the accused, sometime in June 2017 at Plot 1, Block 29, Isheri GRA, Lagos, stole a set of aluminum wire worth N206,000 and copper wire valued at N680,000.

 Emuerhi said, “The suspect, at the time of the incident, worked as a security guard with the complainant, Taiwo Idemudia, who said the suspect sold the items kept in his custody without his consent.

 “When confronted by the complainant, he admitted to have sold the items at a cheap rate. He was later taken to the Isheri police station where he gave a voluntary statement and admitted to have committed the crime.”

 Oseni confirmed before the court that he did sell the items without his boss’ consent, citing ill-health for his action.