Engineering graduate unable to pay N5000 fine, opts for jail term over fowl theft
A 37-year-old engineering graduate, Segun Moses, will spend five and a half month in jail for stealing trailer batteries, 30 liters of diesel and a fowl, a judge has said.
Moses was arraigned with his partner in crime, Femi Taiwo.
Both men were accused of committing the crimes at a mechanic workshop in Elewi-Odo area of Ibadan in February 2018.
The prosecutor, Sunday Ogunremi, told the court that Moses, who was a guard at the workshop, conspired with Taiwo to steal the items.
Ogunremi said, “The suspect and his accomplice at about 5.30am at a trailer mechanic workshop, Elewi-Odo area of Ibadan, in Ibadan magisterial district where he (Moses) was working as a security man, did conspire together to steal five liters of diesel valued at N3,100, property of one Taofeek Akande.
“Also on February 6, 2018 at about 12am in the same place, the suspects stole 25 liters of diesel valued at N5,250, three truck batteries valued at N109,000 properties of Akande.
“Moses on January 30, 2018 at the same address and in the same magisterial district stole one big fowl valued at N3,500 and one guinea fowl valued at N2,500 belonging to Akande.”
In his defence, Moses pleaded guilty to three of the charges preferred against him, while Taiwo pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Moses told the court that he was a graduate of engineering from one of the Nigerian universities, but failure to get a job as an engineer forced him into accepting to work as a security guard at the workshop.
The Magistrate sentenced him to one month imprisonment for the first count, two and half months for the second count and two months for the fourth count with an option of N5,000 fine.
Moses’ inability to pay the N5,000 fine left him with the option of spending a jail term.
Taiwo was, however, granted N20,000 bail with two reliable sureties with known addresses.
