After pleading guilty to theft of N100, 000 from a man’s shop, 30-year-old labourer, Audu Ibrahim, is to cool his heels in a Lagos prison pending sentence.
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court which gave the ruling, said Ibrahim should remain in Kirikiri Prison until June 26 for facts and sentence.
Ibrahim was arraigned before the Magistrate, Mrs F.F. George, on a charge of stealing.
The accused had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying “ it is the handiwork of the devil.”
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Police Sgt. Godwin Awase, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 30 at Agege area of Lagos.
He said the accused stole the N100, 000 belonging to the complainant, Mr Ikejiaku Chukwu, when he asked the accused to stay in the shop for him to go to bank.
“The complainant asked the accused take care of the shop to enable him go to bank.
“When the complainant returned, he discovered that the money he left in his bag was missing.
“He confronted the accused but he denied it, but a neighbour said he saw the accused ransacking the complainant’s bag.
“The accused later confessed that he gave the money to his friend, ” Awase said.
The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes a three-year jail term for offenders.