Thursday, March 28, 2024

Court sentences man to five-year-jail-term for allegedly stealing electric cable

Uba Group

BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI

A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has sentenced a 45-year-old-man to five years imprisonment for reportedly damaging and stealing electric cable.

Obinna Eyeke was said to have vandalised and stolen the electric cable meant for the electrification of his community on March 22, 2022.
Eyeke, who stood trial without having any legal representation, pleaded guilty to the charges.

The trial Magistrate, Ifedi Nwangbo, sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The convict was sentenced to two years imprisonment for the count of conspiracy, one year jail term over malicious damage and two years for stealing.

The charge against him read that “You, Obinna Eyeke and others now at large on March 22, 2022, at Agu-Echara Ohofia Agba community in Ishielu Local Government Area, did conspire among yourselves to (commit) malicious damage and stealing and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 516A(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

“You (convict) did unlawfully and maliciously damage some electrical cable wire, value yet unknown, property of Agu-Echara Ohofia Agba community and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 451 of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

“You did unlawfully and maliciously damage electrical cable wire of Agu-echara Ohofia Agba community and stole the said cable wire and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”

During an interview shortly after the judgement, the representative of the President of Agu-Echara Ohofia Agba community, Orji Sunday, said that the convict and his group constituted a huge setback to the community’s self-help electrification project.

This, he added, also affected five other villages, including Obinna’s village, which could have benefitted from the initiative.

“On March 22, 2022, our community vigilante group caught Obinna Eyeke in the process of cutting our electric cable wire already mounted on some wooden and bamboo poles. Three other members of the group terrorising the community ran away but luck ran out on Obinna who is the gang leader and we apprehended him.

“Upon interrogation, we found out that the cables parked at the community store had been stolen and sold without our notice by the same group. The irony of this is that the convict’s village has no electricity yet and was supposed to benefit from this project being sponsored by the town union executive in collaboration with the indigenes in diaspora.

“Though the stolen items were not recovered, I am happy about the judgement. It will serve as a deterrent to others.”

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