Man jailed 2yrs for stealing church property

A Grade One Area Court sitting in Karu, Nasarawa State, has sentenced one Sunday Ogoda to two years’ imprisonment for stealing church properties. The convict, who resides at Kurudu, Abuja, pleaded guilty to the three count charges prefered against him. The prosecution counsel, Adeyanju Ayotunde, had told the court that the defendant had on three […]

A Grade One Area Court sitting in Karu, Nasarawa State, has sentenced one Sunday Ogoda to two years’ imprisonment for stealing church properties.

The convict, who resides at Kurudu, Abuja, pleaded guilty to the three count charges prefered against him.

The prosecution counsel, Adeyanju Ayotunde, had told the court that the defendant had on three occasions trespassed and broken into the complainant’s church, Deeper Life Church, Kurudu, Abuja.

Ayotunde said Ogoda stole one amplifier, five plasma TV sets, one wall fan and 12kg gas cylinder from the church all valued at N386,000.

He added that the convict was arrested and during police investigation, confessed  to have committed the offences.

He also told the court that the 12kg gas cylinder, 14 inches plasma TV, 36 inches plasma TV and a wall fan were recovered but the amplifier and one plasma TV were not recovered.

The defendant was therefore convicted on criminal trespass, house breaking and theft, charges which contravened sections 348, 358, and 288 of the Penal Code Law.

The judge, Ismail Abdullahi, sentenced the defendant to two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine and asked him to pay compensation for the unrecovered items valued at N198,000.

The prosecution counsel, Adeyanju Ayotunde, further said the defendant led police to where he sold the items and the buyers were arrested.

The arrested buyers, Yahaya Mohammed, 41, Kure Yahaya, 25, Khadijat Taiwo, 35, Mariam Emmanuel, 22, pleaded guilty to the  charges of receiving stolen property contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code Law.

The judge sentenced the four defendants to six months imprisonment each with an option of N10,000 fine each.