Two people, Emmanuel Choice and Ojuola Akande, were sentenced to three months in prison on Thursday by a magistrate court in Isabo, Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, for stealing motor parts from a truck that belonged to the Dangote Cement Transport company.
In a separate decision, the court also gave one Olaiya Abdulrahman a six-month prison term for reckless driving that caused one Olusegun Olusanya to suffer injuries.
The prosecutor, Lawrence Olu-Balogun, noted that on August 22, 2023, Emmanuel and Ojuola stole two sets of tyres, two sets of rims and one drum hub from the trailer body marked DT/7579/CH worth N976,715.00 that belonged to Dangote Cement Transport, Ibese.
He pointed out that the defendants broke Sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Code Vol. II Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2004, by committing offences that were nearly felonies, such as stealing.
The charge stated, in part, “That you Emmanuel Choice “M,” Ojuola Akande “M,” and one other now at large on August 22, 2023, at or about 3:00 a.m. at Dangote Cement Transport Premises, Ibese, in the Ayetoro Magisterial District, did conspire within yourself to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Vol.
“That you Emmanuel Choice ‘M’, Ojuola Akande ‘M’, and one other currently at large on the same date, time, and location in the aforementioned Magisterial District did steal Four tyres, Four rims, and Four drum hub from Trailer body marked DT/7736/CH and Two tyres, Two rims, and one drum hub from Trailer body marked DT/7579/CH valued at Nine hundred and seventy-six thousand seven hundred and fifteen
In a similar vein, Olu-Balogun pointed out that on August 12, 2023, Abdulrahman rammed into 53-year-old Onasanya while driving carelessly along Afami Road in Ogun State’s Yewa-North local government area, causing the victim to sustain body injuries.
According to Olu-Balogun, the Federal High Way Act, CAP 135 of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which is applicable in Ogun State, contains sections 6(1) and 13(1)(a) that Abdulraham violated and are punishable for in that state.
The charge stated, in part, “That you OLAIYA ABDULRAHMAN ‘M’ on the 12th of August 2023 at about 12:30hrs. at Dangote Afami Road, in the Ayetoro Magisterial District, being the Driver in Charge of a Toyota Hilux pickup van with Reg. No. 001 did drive the ÅŸaid vehicle on the Public Road in a manner which was dangerously, recklessly and knocked down one Onasany
“That you OLAIYA ABDULRAHMAN ‘M’ on the same date, time, and location in the aforementioned Magisterial District did cause bodily injuries to one Onasanya Olusegun’m’ but failed to stop or attend to the injured person in order to secure for him medical attention or report the accident to the nearest Police Station, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13 (1) (a) (c) and punishable under Section 13 (2) of the Federal High Court Rules
To the two-count charge levied against them, all of the defendants entered pleas of guilty.
Chief Magistrate E. O. Idowu, who delivered the judgement, found the defendants guilty of the offences and sentenced Emmanuel and Ojuola to three months in prison without the possibility of a fine, while Abdulrahman received a six-month sentence with the possibility of a N10,000 fine if he could pay N200,000 to the victim who had been injured.
