A man named Sunday Ejoh, an aluminum worker from Okinni, Osun State, was sentenced to six months in prison by an Osun State Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo on Monday for stealing three tubers of yam.
Ejoh was arraigned before Magistrate M. Olatunji on a charge of theft, with the stolen yams valued at N3,000.
According to the prosecutor, Jacob Akintunde, the theft occurred on September 22, 2024, when Ejoh stole the tubers of yam belonging to one Oluwole Durojaye. In addition to the stolen yams, a cutlass and a pair of slippers were recovered from the defendant. The offense was in violation of Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Law of Osun State, 2002.
Ejoh, who did not have legal representation, pleaded guilty, explaining that hunger and the need to support his family had driven him to steal. “I was hungry, and I have a family,” he told the court.
Magistrate Olatunji found Ejoh guilty and sentenced him to six months in prison, with the option of a N25,000 fine. Additionally, the court ordered that the stolen yams be returned to their rightful owner.
