A Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Mapo, Ibadan, has sentenced a 24-year-old man, Bolaji Farook, to a term of four months at the correctional centre, for stealing a mattress valued N110,000.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, the court’s President, S.M. Akintayo, convicted and sentenced Farook, based on his guilty plea as well as the evidences tendered by prosecution.
In a summary trial, Mrs Akintayo said there was no need for further evidence since the convict had pleaded guilty in the open court, to the one-count charge of stealing preferred against him.
The court, consequently, sentenced Farook to a term of four months imprisonment, with an option of six months community service.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Ayodele Ayeni, told the court that the convict committed the offence on March 5, at about 8.00 a.m., in Nanlende area of Mokola, Ibadan.
Mr Ayeni said that a complainant, one Alabi Ojo, placed his mattress in front of his house, but returned to discover that it had disappeared from its location.
The prosecutor said that Ojo’s neighbours quickly informed him that they saw the now convict carrying the mattress away to an unknown destination.
He said that the complainant, consequently, reported the case at the Mokola Police Station, and Farook was arrested.
He further said that the convict eventually confessed to have sold the mattress for N4,000, at Sabo market, in Mokola, Ibadan.
The offence contravenes the provision of section 390 (9) of the Criminal Law of Oyo State 2000.
(NAN)
