A 23-year-old ex-convict, Abubakar Bello, briefly escaped from the Mapo Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan while awaiting sentencing yesterday.
The incident occurred when Magistrate Mrs. O.O. Latunji stepped into her chambers to draft her judgment.
Bello’s attempted escape was thwarted by quick intervention from police officers and a soldier, who, according to witnesses, threatened to shoot if he didn’t stop running.
He was swiftly recaptured and brought back into custody.
Following his rearrest, Magistrate Latunji sentenced Bello to three years imprisonment on each of the two charges for which he was convicted. The sentences are to run concurrently, with no option of a fine.
Latunji stated that her decision was influenced by the strong evidence presented by the prosecution and Bello’s own confession.
Although she acknowledged that pleading guilty usually merits some leniency, she emphasized the need for the punishment to serve as a deterrent.
“However, to serve as a deterrent to others, you are hereby sentenced to three years imprisonment for each of the two offences. The sentence has no option of fine and shall run concurrently,” she declared.
Earlier, Police Prosecutor Insp. Oluseye Akinola informed the court that Bello faced a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
According to Akinola, Bello stole electrical cables worth N3.5 million from Olabanji Oil and Gas Station in Odo-Ona Kekere, Ibadan, on October 28.
Akinola explained that Mayowa Balogun, the station’s manager, reported the theft to the police, prompting an investigation.
Bello, recently released from a prior jail term, was apprehended by the station’s security guard at 4 a.m. while attempting to cut electrical installations.
The prosecutor added that Bello had previously led his gang to steal from the same station. However, his accomplices remain at large.
The offences, Akinola noted, violate Sections 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State 2000.
