By Shittu Adebisi-Fatima
A Mapo Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday jailed a 20-year-old man, Olalekan Adebisi, for six months for stealing 50 pieces of mosquito nets.
The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Mercy Aderounmu noted that the convict had already spent five months in Agodi Prison due to his inability to perfect the bail conditions of N50, 000 earlier granted him.
The magistrate said that the convict would now do a community service for four weeks within the court premises.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adebisi of no fixed address was first arraigned on June 7 on a count charge of stealing.
He then pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail with two sureties in like sum, but could not perfect the bail conditions.
Adebisi later changed his plea to guilty on Nov. 13, after spending five months in prison custody, and the case was adjourned until Nov. 20 for facts and sentences.
Presenting the facts before the court on Monday, the prosecutor, Cpl. Philip Amusan, said that Adebisi on May 30 jumped the fence of Bode Health Centre, Ibadan, and stole 50 pieces of mosquito nets.
Amusan further said that Adebisi on June 3 at about 5.00 a.m came back to the health centre and scaled the fence in an attempt to steal again.
He said Adebisi was arrested in the process by one of the security guards attached to the health centre and was later handed over to the police.
The prosecutor further told the court that Adebisi sold the nets through hawking to some buyers he could not identified.
Amusan said that the offence contravened Section 509 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State 2000.
