A Sabo-Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State, on Friday, sentenced a 31-year-old man, Sunday Ogoh, to two years in prison for stealing a phone and transferring money from the owner’s account.
Ogoh was also charged with obtaining a phone under false pretences.
The Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Salawu, sentenced Ogoh after he pleaded guilty to a three-count charge of obtaining under false pretences, breach of public peace and stealing.
Salawu did not give him an option of fine.
Ogoh, who resides at No. 10, Bola Adewunmi St., Obanikoro, Lagos State, had admitted guilt and pleaded for mercy.
The prosecutor, Insp Godwin Oriabure, had told the court that Ogoh committed the offences on May 14 at ECWA Church located at No. 17, Montgomery Road, Yaba.
He submitted that during a church service, Ogoh requested to use a church member’s phone to make a call, but absconded with it.
The prosecutor said that while Ogoh was in possession of the phone, he reset the owner’s password and transferred N10,000 from the owner’s GTBbank account to his Opay account.
According to him, the Samsung A33 phone belongs to one Miss Farida Umar.
He added that Ogoh stole the phone worth N260, 000.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 168 (d), 280 (1) and 314 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 provides for 15 years in prison for obtaining under false pretences, while Section 287 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for stealing. (NAN)
