Justice

A 25-year-old bricklayer, Ibrahim Lateef, who pleaded guilty to theft of a phone valued at N25,000, is to cool his heels in prison

pending sentence, an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court ruled on Monday.

Lateef, who resides at 15, Sanusi St., Ipaja, a suburb of Lagos, was arraigned for stealing.

Following his guilty plea, Chief Magistrate J.A. Adegun said the phone thief should remain behind bars at Kirikiri Prisons until April 16 for facts and sentence.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor Clifford Ogu told the court that the offence was committed on March 30 at Retail Market, Abesan, Ipaja.

Ogu said the accused went to the shop of the complainant, Atilola Akhilomeh, on the pretext of buying milk and stole her phone.

“The complainant had gone into the shop to give him the milk and before she came back, the accused took her phone and ran away.

“The complainant shouted to alert some market men and women who gave him a hot chase and arrested him.

“They recovered the phone valued at N25,000 and handed him over to the police,” he said.

The offence contravened Section 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015 which stipulates three years imprisonment.

(NAN)