5th February, 2015
Cyriacus Izuekwe
A 25-year-old man, Robert Abariko, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing three flat screen television sets belonging to a school owner in Lagos State, western Nigeria.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs O. A. Gbajumo handed him the sentence after he pleaded guilty to the one count charge of burglary and stealing before the court.
The convict, before he was sentenced, was facing trial for two other similar offences before the same court.
Abariko, who lives at 5, Seriki Crescent, Aguda in Sururere, had earlier been arrested and charged before Gbajumo on three different occasions.
He pleaded guilty and was remanded in prison and granted bail. But that did not stop him from committing more crimes.
This was made known before the court by the prosecutor, Mr Kunle Shonibare who urged the court to take judicial notice of his past before sentencing him.
Shonibare informed the court that Abariko was arraigned before the court after he burgled a shop at 244, Ijesha road, Ijeshatedo and carted away goods worth thousands of naira.
Shonibare also told the court that while the convict was still facing trial, he went and burgled another shop located at 142, Ijesha road where he stole provisions worth thousands of naira.
He told the court that Abariko was also facing a charge of impersonation after he wore a police uniform to commit crime and was arrested.
He told the court that Abariko was on bail and still facing trial before he committed another offence that brought him to court where he pleaded guilty.
Shonibare informed the court that while those matters were still pending in court, he broke and entered a school compound and stole three flat screen TV sets and was arrested in the process.
Making the submission, Shonibare told the court that despite the efforts of the Federal Government to rehabilitate Abariko, he had shown that he was a habitual criminal who would not change.
He urged the court to sentence him so that it would serve as a deterent to others who might emulate him.
Abariko confirmed what the prosecutor told the court and said he had the temptation to always steal from people.
Consequently, the court sentenced him and he was taken to Kirikiri Prisons where he will serve his jail term.