Security guard jailed 3 months for stealing Generator

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko

An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday sentenced one Paul Friday, 25, to three months in prison for stealing a generator.

Friday, a Security Guard at Olonde Light City Avenue, Ologuneru area of Ibadan, was charged with conspiracy and stealing, to which he pleaded guilty.

Delivering her judgment, the Magistrate, Mrs M. Olagbenro, said the convict admitted guilt to the facts presented by the prosecutor and was found guilty on counts one and two.

Olagbenro said the convict did not qualify for an option of community service because he did not have any guarantor.

The magistrate said that Friday, rather than doing his job to protect lives and property of people in the community, was a threat to them.

She said that consideration was given to the plea of the Counsel, Mr Paul Asooye, who implored that the convict should be given  minimum sentence as a first offender.

Olagbenro advised the convict to use the opportunity at the prison to change, learn a vocation and become a better person thereafter.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Elisha Tellang told the court that the convict committed the offences on Sept. 17, at about 8.00 p.m, at Olonde Avenue, Ologuneru area of Ibadan.

Tellang said that the convict and others at large conspired to steal the Thermocool Generator, worth N285, 000, belonging to a police officer, SP Opeyemi Adeniyi.

The prosecutor said Friday stole the generator in the police officer’s compound within the community he was guarding and sold it for just N1, 000.

He said the convict collected the money from the buyer for feeding with the promise that the buyer would come back for proper negotiations.  

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 516 and 390(9) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.