By Deborah Akpede
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Friday sentenced a 23-year-old car wash operator, Adeyemi Adetula, to four years imprisonment for stealing a car valued at N3millon.
The Magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, pronounced the verdict after the defendant pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
Osunsanmi, who did not give Adetula an option of a fine, sentenced him to a term of one year with hard labour on the first count of conspiracy and three years for stealing, but ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.
“You are hereby sentenced to one year imprisonment for conspiracy and three years for stealing.
“The sentences would serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in similar acts,’’ she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adetula, during arraignment on Aug.1, pleaded guilty to the two- count charge of conspiracy and stealing and was remanded in prison.
When the case was called up on Friday for a review of facts and sentencing, Adetula still admitted guilt and the magistrate consequently convicted and sentenced him.
The Prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the defendant, a resident of Abule-Egba, Lagos committed the offences in the month of May at Abule-Egba, Lagos.
Ayorinde said that the defendant bolted with Mr Lucky Onaghise’s car valued at N3million.
“The complainant drove his car to the car wash centre and gave it to the defendant for washing.
“By the time the complainant looked to the direction where he parked his car for washing, he could not see the defendant nor his car and he raised an alarm.
“Colleagues at the carwash centre called the defendant’s phone severally but he refused to answer the calls.’’
Ayorinde said that the defendant’s phone was tracked and he was arrested in Ondo state but he had already sold off the car.
The offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)