BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A 32-year-old carpenter, Isola Kabiru, has been sentenced to one year imprisonment by an Osun State Magistrate’s Court for stealing a car battery.
Kabiru, a father of one, informed the court that he is a carpenter and that he started stealing after the owner of the land he was using as workshop took possession of it.
The convict was slammed with a two-count charge of attempted felony and stealing of which he pleaded guilty to.
He had already spent four months in Ilesa Correctional Centre while awaiting trial.
However, when the matter came up for hearing recently, the police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, said Kabiru committed the act on December 28, 2022 at about 6:30am at Dele Yes Sir area, Osogbo.
He said the defendant stole a solar-powered vehicle battery, valued at N27,000, belonging to one Alhaji Kazeem Hakibu. Also, on that day, the prosecutor explained that the defendant maliciously damaged the window glass of the Toyota Corolla car, valued at N6,000, before he could open the car’s bonnet.
“Kabiru broke the glass of the car before he could gain entry into it. After gaining entry, he opened the bonnet and made away with the battery.
“On January 2, 2023, unfortunately for him, he was seen at Ajegunle market, Osogbo where he had wanted to sell the stolen battery. One battery was recovered from him. He was arrested and taken to Dugbe Police Station. The owner of the damaged vehicle and the battery and other eye witnesses followed Kabiru to Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo. They made statements and confirmed that they had been seeing him often at Ajegunle market selling batteries,” Adeoye further told the court.
When the defendant, who had no legal representation was asked to reply to facts as narrated by the police prosecutor, Kabiru concurred and pleaded with the court for leniency.
The convict, while sobbing and kneeling inside the dock, confessed that he scaled through the fence of the victim’s house, went to his garage and stole his car’s battery.
“Having understood the facts and pleaded guilty, I therefore have no iota of doubt that the defendant committed the crime. Convicting the defendant will serve as deterrent to others who have the same habit,” Magistrate A. Daramola ruled.
“Please, forgive me, I won’t do it again. Have mercy on me. My family members are dead. My brother is sick and my wife doesn’t know I committed this crime. I am a carpenter and it was because I lost my workshop that the devil pushed me to this,” the convict, who had been awaiting trial in court since January 10, 2023, after failing to meet up with his bail conditions begged the court.
Delivering her judgment, Daramola sentenced Kabiru to six months imprisonment for count one and another six months for count two.
She said the terms of imprisonment should run concurrently from the first date of his arraignment, which was January 4, 2023.
