Court sentences man, 21, to 8 months community service for assaulting IBEDC staff

A 21-year-old man, Ashonila Victor, was on Wednesday sentenced to eight months Community Service at an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court for assaulting a staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) who was discharging his duty.

Victor, who resides at Iporo Asalu Community Idi-Aba area in Abeokuta pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mr Olakunleyin Oke sentenced Victor after he was found guilty of a count charge of assault

Oke held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts that the convict was guilty of the offence

He noted that the rate of assault on IBEDC officials was becoming rampant, saying that he would have sentenced the defendant to the correctional centre as his punishment.

 Oke said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convict would not be sentenced to the correctional centre but be giving community service

 He, however, sentenced the defendant to eight months to engage in community service and also to pay N30,000 as  compensation to the IBEDC staff assaulted.

 Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Olu-Balogun Lawrence, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Jan. 2, at Iporo Asalu Community of Abeokuta.

Lawrence said that the defendant punched one Craig Damilola on his face and mouth, causing him bodily injuries.

 He said that the complainant who is an IBEDC staff, went to the house of the defendant to investigate allegations that the defendant by-passed his prepaid metre.

 He said while the IBEDC staff was trying to disconnect the light, the defendant attacked  the complainant with blows to his face and mouth and also released dogs on them.

 The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 355 of the criminal code laws of Ogun 2006.