Crime

Ex-convict Docked For Stealing Turkey A Day After Leaving Prison

Published

9 years ago

October 10, 2017

By Grace Isaac

A 37-year-old ex-convict, Stephen Odukuma, has been arraigned before a Magistrate’s court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, for stealing a live turkey a day after he finished serving a jail term.

The police arraigned Odokuma before the Chief Magistrate Ashiru Ayeni on a one-count charge of stealing.

Odokuma, who was represented by his lawyer, Mrs Adeyinka Dada, pleaded not guilty on the first day of arraignment and he was granted bail of N50,000 with one surety.

He was later remanded in Ilesha prison custody, when he could not perfect his bail conditions.

The accused changed his plea from not guilty to guilty, when the case was called for mention on October 6.

When the matter was called for hearing on Tuesday the prosecutor, Inspector Olayiwola Rasaq, told the court that on the 27th of July at about 1.30 pm at Oja Oba market area in Osogbo, Odokuma was found in possession of a live turkey, for which he could not give satisfactory account.

The prosecutor explained that one of the police officers met Odokuma at Oja Oba market in Osogbo, where he wanted to sell the turkey.

He said after his arrest the accused confessed to the police in his statement that he was coming from prison custody, where he just finished serving a two-year imprisonment on a related offence.

In his statement, he also explained that he stole the live turkey from a shop where he passed the night.

The prosecutor also said efforts to trace the owner of the turkey was abortive.

The live turkey and the statement of the accused were tendered as exhibits A and B.

The police prosecutor argued that the offence contravened Section 432 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Volume 11 Laws of Osun State 2003.

Handling down his verdict, Magistrate Ayeni convicted Odokuma on the one-count charge following his admittance to the charge.

He cautioned the convict and discharged him because the convict had been in prison custody since July.

He, therefore, ordered that the live turkey be sold and the proceeds deposited in government account.