An Oshodi Magistrates' Court in Lagos, yesterday, sentenced a 20-year-old unemployed man, Azeez Adams, to nine months imprisonment. For stealing two Blackberry phones. Also a a landlord, Titus Omosuyi, who allegedly threatened to kill his tenant, was yesterday was docked before an Apapa Senior Magistrates' Court in Lagos.
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The Magistrate, Mr Akeem Fashola, sentenced Adams after he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and stealing.
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Adams, of no fixed address, blamed his action on the devil and pleaded for leniency.
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The magistrate gave him an option of paying a fine of N60,000.
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Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, had told the court that the accused and others at large committed the offence on March 5, at 9.30p.m., at Oshodi.
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He said that the accused and others conspired to steal a N64,000 Blackberry Touch phone belonging to one Miss Oloruntimilehin Olayinka, and a N25,000 Blackberry Bold phone, property of one Mr Emmanuel Adebiyi
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"Olayinka and Adebiyi were receiving calls at the bus stop when the accused snatched their phones and crossed to the other side of the road.
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"The accused was pursued and when he discovered this, he quickly passed the two phones to his colleagues, who escaped with them, while he was arrested," the prosecutor said.
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According to him, all efforts to recover the phones have proved abortive.
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Olatunde said that the offence contravened Sections 285 and 410 of the Criminal Laws of LagosState, 2011.
Stealing is a bad habit but 9 months is just too much for such offence. It is rather too harsh