13th April, 2016
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A 25-year-old man, Unity Agbonifo, was on Wednesday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for attempting to steal a Blackberry phone valued at N35,000 by an Evbouriaria Magistrate Court in Benin.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Olatoye Oluwaseun, told the court that the convict committed the crime on March 21, at 16, Sapele road in Benin.
Oluwaseun told the court that the convict also damaged the PVC ceiling of the house of his victim, Alfred Omoruyi, while trying to escape. The PVC ceiling was valued at N17,000.
The prosecutor also said the offence contravened Section 509 and 451 of the Criminal Code Cap 48 Vol. II laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo.
The Magistrate, Mrs. C.E. Oghuma, sentenced the convict to one year imprisonment on count one, with option of N20,000 fine, and jailed him six months in count two, with an option of N10,000 fine.
In another development, two armed robbers, Peter Elang, 29, and Osas Osawarun 36, were ordered to be remanded in prison custody by an Egor Magistrate Court in Benin, for raping one of their victims during an armed robbery operation.
The prosecutor, C.S.O. Nnamdi, told the court that both accused persons committed the offence on April 2, at 1, Oghobaghase Street, Benin.
He said the accused persons gained entrance through the ceiling of the store and stole the sum of N12,000, a Tecno phone valued at N10,000, two Samsung phones worth N22,000 and a packet of cigarette valued at N200.
The plea of the accused persons was however not taken on the three-count charge bordering on stealing and rape.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 516, 390 and 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. ll laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo.
The Magistrate, Mr. W.E. Aziegbemhin, ruled that court would consider the bail of the accused persons on the next adjourned date.
Aziegbemhin adjourned the case till April 19, for hearing.