8th June, 2017
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Mobile Court sitting in Oshodi area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has sentenced a paramilitary officer attached to the Lagos State Taskforce to one year imprisonment for stealing a ‘Phantom 6 Techno’ mobile phone belonging to one Pastor Kingsley of Christ Church, Fadeyi, Lagos.
The convict, Moses Prince, 34 years, a paramilitary officer deployed from ‘Man’O’ War’ to the Agency in October, 2016 stole the ‘Phantom Six Techno’ mobile phone valued at N150,000 during an enforcement operations carried out at No 22, Ereko Street, Fadeyi, Lagos.
Magistrate Lateef Owolabi of the Lagos State Mobile Court at Oshodi sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment without any option of fine after he pleaded guilty to a-one count charge leveled against him for ‘stealing a Phantom 6 Techno Mobile Phone while In-discharge of a lawful duty with the Lagos State Task Force contrary to Section 258 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.’
Owolabi, who said the judgment was meant to deterred other public officers from engaging in criminal activities, however, confirmed that the accused’s statement under caution where he admitted stealing the phone was used as an evidence against him.
Prosecutor Counsel, Ajibola Olumide disclosed that all evidences tendered against the accused were not denied by him during the court proceedings.
However, Yinka Egbeyemi, Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force said the convict stole the phone at a recent enforcement carried out at Idi-Oro area of Mushin where hoodlums clashed recently.
He said the convict voluntarily confessed to have stolen the said mobile phone during an interrogation carried out by the agency.
Egbeyemi stated that the agency carried out series of seminar programmes where officers of the agency were lectured to shun criminal activities and be upright in the course of discharging their legitimate duties.
The Chairman who commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for providing security gadgets and prompt payment of allowances to officers, however, warned that any acts of criminal activities from officers would not be tolerated by the government.