Court Sentence Man To 14-Hour Labour For Stealing Tubers Of Yam In Lagos

A man, Okon Happiness, has been mandated to engage in 14 hours labour after he pleaded guilty to stealing tubers of yam at Ikotun market, Lagos.

The man was arraigned before a magistrate court in Ejigbo, Lagos.

The defendant, 26-year-old Okon Happiness, was reported to have entered a shop in the market owned by one Kehinde Lawanson and took away the yams valued at N2,100.

Luck, however, ran out of him when Lawanson, after seeing him coming out of her shop and out of the market with the items raised alarm.

A mob chased him, caught him and handed him over to the police at Ikotun Division.

Okon was arraigned before the court presided over by Teslimi Shomade on a one-count charge of stealing.

He pleaded guilty to the offence, saying he stole the items because he was hungry.

Prosecuting Counsel, Kenneth Asibor, said the complainant refused all entreaties to settle the matter, insisting that it be charged to court.

The defendant pleaded for leniency, promising not to repeat the act.

Magistrate Shomade convicted him and directed that he should serve his sentence on the court premises.