A 32-year-old man, Francis Joseph who stole an Apple Mac Book Laptop computer from a Church, during worship service, was yesterday sentenced to one year imprisonment by an Igbosere Magistrate Court for stealing.
Magistrate Mrs M.O Ope-Agbe, handed down the sentence, to the convict, without an option of fine.
The defendant was arraigned on July 10, 2019, on a count charge of stealing an Apple Mac Book laptop computer.
During the convict’s arrangement, the prosecutor sergeant Cyriacus Osuji had told the court that the offence was committed at Elevation Church auditorium at Lekki.
He said that the incident took place at Elevation Church auditorium at Lekki, at 1, Redemption Drive, Jakande, first gate Lekki.
Osuji said the convict stole the laptop, on February 13, at about 2pm.
He said that the laptop was worth N375,000, property of one Osaretin Eyimisan.
According to him, the offence committed is punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos state 2015.
However, the convict pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
Consequently, magistrate Ope- Agbe, had granted him bail of N200,000, with one surety, who is gainfully employed.
She had ordered that the surety must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos state government, means of identification and have his address verified.
The court had adjourned the case till September 30, for mention. But when the matter came up yesterday, the convict changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Osuji, while reviewing the facts of the case, told the court that the closed circuit television CCTV, of the church, had captured the convict on the day he stole the laptop.
He said ” After the convict left, they discovered that the laptop on the auditorium had been stolen, so they checked the CCTV, and saw that the person, has been captured, and then waited to see if he will come back again”.
” On July 3, the convict went back to the Church and while he was attempting to steal again, the CCTV, captured him again and he was apprehended and handed over to the Police”, Osuji said.
He said, “During investigation, the sum of N14,000, was discovered from the convict, which he could not give any satisfactory explanation of how he got the money”.
Osuji said ” Joseph, told the Police during investigation that he took the laptop to computer village at and sold it for N 100,000”.
After finding the defendant guilty of the offence of stealing, the magistrate convicted him, and before handing down the sentence, she asked him if he had anything to say.
Joseph said ” I have known God now, I will not do that again, have mercy on me”.
Magistrate Ope- Agbe, after listening to the review of the facts and sentence and the plea of the convict, she sentenced him to one year imprisonment. Nigeria News
