18th May, 2023
By Paul Iyoghojie
A Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos Southwest, Nigeria has sentenced 25-year-old Cletus Emmanuel to two months imprisonment for vandalizing the RMU transformer panel belonging to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, located at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos and stealing the end-cap valued at N300,000.
The convict was jailed by Magistrate T.A. Idowu after pleading guilty to the two-0count charge bordering on vandalism and stealing preferred against him by the Police at the Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island and facts of the matter presented before the Court by the Police Prosecuting Counsel, Inspector Ajaga Agboko.
Police alleged that trouble started for the convict when he sneaked inside the Federal Palace Hotel located along the Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island to vandalize the transformer panel belonging to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC and stole the end cap valued N300,000 and plunged the residents in the area in darkness.
Police further alleged that nemesis, however, caught up with the convict when some vigilant people in the area sighted him with the stolen property as he made to leave the scene and confronted him.
Police said that the convict took to his heels and was pursued and caught by the people and held down.
They sent a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island about the matter who swiftly dispatched his men led by Inspector Akinpelu to the scene to arrest the convict.
Emmanuel, a resident of Maruwa Ghetto, Lekki, Lagos was charged before the Court on a two-count charge of vandalism and stealing.
Magistrate Idowu sentenced the convict to two months imprisonment without an option of fine and directed that the sentence would run concurrently.