Jobless Man sentenced for Stealing A Pot of Soup in Lagos

Just imagine what hunger is doing to people in Nigeria; a rich country cursed with bad leaders: A Somolu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Monday sentenced a 28yrs old man, Abiodun Ojedokun to six days of community service for stealing a large pot of soup. The Magistrate, Mrs Bola Osunsanmi, sentenced the convict to 48 hours of community service for each of the three-count charge, after he had pleaded guilty to the offence. Police say: “The accused connived with some others, now at large, to break into Mrs Gbadamosi Sanni’s shop at 2:00 a.m. They broke the locks and stole her large pot of soup, valued at N8,000.” The convict, arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, burglary and stealing, pleaded guilty to all the charges preferred against him. “Based on the facts of this case before this court, the confirmed report and your plea of leniency, I hereby sentence you to 48 hours community service on each of the counts of the charge,” Magostrate Bola Osunsanmi ruled. The prosecutor, ASP Akinlabi Adegoke, told the court that the convict, who was a casual worker and whose address was unknown, committed the offences on September 20, 2014, at 2:00 a.m. at the Onipanu Model Market in the Somolu area of Lagos State. The prosecutor told the court that the offences contravened Sections 285, 308 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. According to to NAN, Ojedokun pleaded guilty to the charges and asked for leniency, and confessed that he committed the offence because he was starving.