25th July, 2019
By Paul Iyoghojie
A security man, Jesse Lambala, 32, has been sentenced to four months imprisonment without an option of fine for stealing motor spare parts valued N350, 000 belonging to his employer, Benny Obaze and threatening to kill him if he failed to give him share from the land he sold just three months after he secured employment.
The convict was jailed by Magistrate A.A Famobiwo of the Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos after the convict suddenly changed his not guilty plea during trial and pleaded guilty to the four-count of stealing, threatening to kill his employer with gun and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace preferred against him by the police at the Ikoyi Division, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Famoyibo, however, directed that the sentence would run concurrently.
Police said that the journey to jail started for the convict in March, 2019 when the complainant reported to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ikoyi Division, Ikoyi, Lagos, CSP Tijani Mustapha N’abba that he received a tip off from armed security personnel working within his neighborhood that his security guard of three months was planning to kill him.
The complainant allegedly stated: “My problem started after I mistakenly informed my security man that I have a plot of land to sell and I was surprised after I sold the land, my security man came to meet me to give him share from the proceed of the land I sold and I told him that I would not share any money with him since I was paying his salary regularly.
“My security man left me and went to meet armed security personnel serving in my area and pleaded with them to lend him his gun to kill me for not giving him share from the land I sold and the personnel came to inform me of what my security guard was planning against me.”
Following the report, N’abba directed his team led by ASP Phillip Igbinovia to arrest the convict.
During investigation, the convict confessed to the crime and said that if the police officer he approached to lend him his gun had obliged him, he would have used the gun to shoot his boss dead.
Police counsel, Mawari Solomon told the court that the convict committed the offence at Abayomi Fatosi Close, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos where he worked and lived with his employer.
Solomon informed the court that the accused stole his employer’s spare part valued N350,000 and planned to kill him with gun.
He said the offences committed were punishable under section 411, 287, 56 (1) (a) (b) and 168 (1) (d) of the criminal law of Lagos State.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charges and the facts of the matter and Magistrate Famoyibo sentenced him for four months imprisonment without an option of fine.
Famoyibo also compelled the convict to write an undertaking to be of good behaviour and not to go near the complainant after completing his jail terms.