A 22-year-old man, Dipo Femi has been sentenced to 27 years imprisonment by an Ekiti State High Court, sitting in Ado Ekiti for conspiracy, burglary and stealing.
The convict was arraigned before Justice Blessing Ajileye on 19 July, 2022 on five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, burglary and other offences.
The offences contravened Sections 421, 324 and 302 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
Femi and others, now at large, according to the charge, on March 14, 2022 at 5:30 a.m., at Oke Ureje, Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti, conspired and break into the shops of Victor Mark, Clement Moses and Samuel Lucky, and stole items which include, men and ladies wears, jewelries, footwears, cash sum of N200, 000.00, perfumes, body spray, fez caps among others valued at N2.150 million.
One of the victims, in his statement to the police said, “I received a call while I was going to church that my shop has been burgled but the thief was caught and arrested, when I got to the place. I saw the thief with some of the stolen goods, and he said, they were four in number but the rest three had escaped with the stolen items.
“Thereafter, we invited Rapid Response Squad of the Nigerian Police Force and handed him over to them”, he concluded.
The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements as exhibits to proof his case.
The defendant, who spoke in his own defence through his counsel Chris Omokhafe called no witness.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ajileye said, “I will not hesitate to hold that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt, the basic elements of stealing against the defendant and I so hold.”
In counts 1, 2 and 4, (Conspiracy and burglary), the defendant is convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment each and in counts 3 and 5, he is sentenced to 3 years imprisonment each.
“The time of the imprisonment are to run concurrently from the date of arrest,” the Court ruled.
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