Bus driver to serve 3 years in prison for stealing

Bus driver to serve 3 years in prison for stealing
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An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a commercial bus driver, Simon Monday, to three years imprisonment for stealing a bus valued at N750,000.

Magistrate K.K Awoyinka, convicted Monday, 23, following his plea of guilty to a one-count charge of stealing, under Sections 287 (10) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Before handing down the verdict, Mrs Awoyinka asked the convict if he had anything to say.

Monday replied: “Please temper justice with mercy. I have learnt my lesson. Please allow me to go and work so that I can pay back the money for the bus.”

But rejecting his allocutus, Awoyinka said: “You are hereby sentenced to three years imprisonment.”

Read Also: Hotel supervisor in court for theft of employer’s ₦154, 000

Earlier, prosecuting Inspector Oladejo Balogun, who reviewed the facts of the case, said Monday was arraigned on May 21, 2019.

Balogun said Monday stole a T4 Volkswagen Bus with registration number AAA 470 XR, valued at N700, 000, sometime in February 2017, at Alpha Beach, area, in Eti- Osa Local Government Area of Lagos.

The bus belonged to the complainant, Mr Obasi Ikechukwu.

The court heard that Ikechukwu gave the bus to Monday after much pleading on the condition that the driver would remit N7, 000, daily, to the complainant.

Monday failed to do so. Instead, he fled with the bus.

The prosecutor said “The convict ran away with the bus and stopped picking the complainant’s calls, he moved out of where he used to live to an unknown place. At a point, when he picked his call, he told the complainant that he was arrested at Badagry road and that was why he couldn’t inform him about the development. He then switched off the phone again, until this year, following which he was apprehended.

“The bus is what the complainant fed himself and his family. This defendant took the complainant’s source of livelihood from him and caused him so much difficulty, “Balogun stated.

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