Court Jails Nursing mother, Siblings For Stealing Toothpaste

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has jailed two siblings, Gbenga Elegbede and Funmilayo Elegbede, for stealing toothpaste and other items from Adeleke Omolayo and Alhaji Wahab.

Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, the Magistrate, E. O. Idowu, sentenced Gbenga to one-year imprisonment with hard labour, while Funmilayo was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour after they pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy, stealing, breaking and entering as well as aiding and abetting.

The prosecutor, Laide Rawlings, told the court that the siblings burgled Omolayo’s shop and stole items worth N291,150, which included 16 assorted slippers, six markers, three toothpaste tubes, one mat, and three gas cylinders among others.

She also stated that the siblings burgled Wahab’s apartment and stole a purse worth N1,500 containing N450,000.

Rawlings said their offences contravened and are punishable under Section 127, 390(9), 411(1), 413(1), and 516 of the Criminal Code Law of Ogun State.

Gbenga and Funmilayo pleaded guilty to their offences and begged for clemency, stressing that Funmilayo is a nursing mother of a three-month-old daughter.

The defence counsel, Nafisat Mas’ud, described the judgment as fair, stressing that justice is not only for the defendants.

“Since the defendants have pleaded guilty to the offences, the judgment is a fair one. Justice is not only for the defendants but also for the society. They deserve what they got,” she said.

The siblings were arraigned on July 19, 2023, before Magistrate M.O. Osinbajo before the case was transferred to Chief Magistrate E.O. Idowu.