Court sentences man to 1 month in prison for stealing plantain

An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun on Monday sentenced a 35-year-old man, Ojo Maruf, to one month in prison for stealing N55,000 worth of plantain.

Maruf was convicted after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of stealing, contrary to sections 383 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.

His Defence Counsel, Mrs Omoyeni Tosin, urged the magistrate to temper justice with mercy.

In her judgment, Magistrate A.A. Adebayo, held that the court took into account the fact that the convict was a first time offender.

Adebayo, who sentenced Maruf to one month jail term, however, gave him an option to pay N1000 fine.

He said “the sinner must not go unpunished; the sentence would serve as deterrent to others.”

The Prosecutor, Insp Sunday Osanyintuyi, had earlier told the court that Maruf committed the offence on July 17, 2020 around 12 p.m. at Oke-Ora village, near Ile-Ife.

Osanyintuyi said that the plantain belong to one Oladipupo Sunday.