Ekiti Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Stealing N64,000 Phone

A 26-year-old man, Omodara Dada, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, after being found guilty of burglary.

Dada was charged with robbing Fakiyesi Tope of a N64,000 phone and N8,000 in cash, while armed with a knife, in 2022. He was arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on July 19, 2022, facing a charge of armed robbery under Section 312 (2) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2011.

The charge against Dada stated, “On February 13, 2022, at Ado Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, you did rob Fakiyesi Tope of his black Infinix Hot 8 phone valued at N64,000 and N8,000 in cash, while armed with a knife.”

According to the victim’s statement, he was sleeping in his hotel room when he woke up to a noise and saw Dada attempting to steal his television. The victim said, “I tried to shout, but he pulled out a knife and threatened to stab me if I did. Later, I realized he had stolen my phone and cash. I managed to hold him from behind while he tried to flee, and with the help of others, we restrained him and handed him over to the police.”

In a bid to prove his case, prosecutor Albert Adeyemi called three witnesses and presented evidence, including the statements from both the victim and defendant, the knife, and the stolen N8,000.

Dada, who did not present any witnesses in his defense, pleaded for leniency through his lawyer.

In his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye noted, “While the evidence presented failed to prove the charge of armed robbery, it clearly established the lesser offense of burglary beyond reasonable doubt.”

The judge convicted Dada of burglary under Section 323 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, sentencing him to seven years in prison, with the sentence to commence from the date of his detention at the Federal Correctional Facility in Ado-Ekiti.