A 22-year-old man, Dipo Femi, has been sentenced to 27 years imprisonment by an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, for charges including conspiracy, burglary, and theft.
The court handed down concurrent sentences starting from the day of his arrest, totaling 27 years. This comprised seven years for each of three charges (21 years) and three years for each of two charges (six years).
Femi was charged on July 19, 2022, with five counts related to conspiracy, burglary, and other offenses, contravening Sections 421, 324, and 302 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
According to the charge, Femi, along with others who are currently at large, conspired and broke into shops belonging to Victor Mark, Clement Moses, and Samuel Lucky on March 14, 2022, at 5:30 a.m. at Oke Ureje, Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti.
They stole various items, including men’s and ladies’ wears, jewelry, footwear, a cash sum of N200,000, perfumes, body spray, and fez caps, valued at N2.150 million.
During the trial, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented four witnesses and submitted the defendant’s statements and bond to produce as exhibits.
In his defense, the defendant, represented by counsel Chris Omokhafe, spoke but did not call any witnesses.
In the judgment, Justice Blessing Ajileye said, “I will not hesitate to hold that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the basic elements of stealing against the defendant, and I so hold.
READ ALSO: Three Siblings Die in Accident
“In counts 1, 2 and 4, (conspiracy and burglary) the defendant is convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment each and in counts 3 and 5, the defendant is sentenced to three years imprisonment each, time of the imprisonment are to run concurrently from the date of arrest,” the judge pronounced.
