Ondo court jails nursing mother, siblings for stealing
Peter Dada, Akure
A 23-year-old woman, Faith Joseph, and her siblings – Nwana (17), Chinonso (16), and Victor (10) – have been jailed by a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Owo, the headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Faith and her brothers were arrested and arraigned following their alleged involvement in the breaking of several shops at a commercial centre opposite Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. Goods worth over N1m were carted away.
Some of the stolen items recovered from them included; telephone handsets of different brands, DVD players, laptops, bookshop items, electrical stabilisers, packs of bottled water and various telephone accessories.
They were arraigned at the court on 15 counts.
Some of the charges included stealing, conspiracy and intent to commit felony.
According to the prosecution, the offence is contrary to and punishable under various sections of the Criminal Code Cap. 37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
They pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Their confessional statements and the stolen items recovered from them were admitted as exhibits.
Delivering his judgement, the magistrate, Mr. Sunday Adedapo, ruled that Faith should go behind bars for one year each on the 15 counts, which will run concurrently.
She was also ordered to pay a sum of N50,000 as compensation to victims of the crime.
The minors – Chinonso and Nwana – were given rehabilitating sentences as they were referred to a juvenile home in Akure, pending the time their parents would pay the sum of N100,000 as compensation to the victims of the crime, with an undertaking to secure their proper upbringing.
However, all the charges against 10-year-old Victor were dismissed on the grounds of his age.
But the court ordered that he should be under a probation officer for nine months for the purpose of monitoring his reformation.
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