BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has sentenced a middle-aged-man, Sunday Nwigwe, to one month jail term for stealing two pregnant sheep.
Nwigwe was convicted after pleading guilty to one-count-charge of stealing before Magistrate Chinedu Mkpuma.
In consideration of the show of remorse by the convict, the trial magistrate slammed him with the jail term with an option of N50, 000 fines.
The charge against him read that “You, Sunday Nwigwe, on March 25, 2022 at Ndioke Ndiebor Ishieke Ebonyi Local Government Area, did steal two sheep valued at N100, 000 property of one Nwebonyi Michael and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
Meanwhile, a mild drama ensued in court when Nwigwe opted for a guilty plea against the expectation of his lawyer, Ogbaga George.
George tried to prevail on the convict to change his guilty plea, but the remorseful man insisted on owning up to the alleged crime.
Shortly after court proceedings, John Nwode, leader of Ebubeagu Security Outfit in the area, said that his men caught the suspect on March 26 on his way to the market where he planned to sell the two stolen pregnant sheep.
Upon interrogations, he was said to have made a confessional statement.
