A 22-year-old man named Dipo Femi has been sentenced to 27 years in prison by an Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti. He was convicted for his involvement in conspiracy, burglary, and theft.
Dipo Femi, who was arraigned before Justice Blessing Ajileye on the 19th of July, 2022, faced a five-count charge related to conspiracy, burglary, and theft, violating sections 421, 324, and 302 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.
The charges indicated that Dipo Femi, along with others who are currently at large, conspired and unlawfully entered the shops of Victor Mark, Clement Moses, and Samuel Lucky at Oke Ureje, Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti, on the 14th of March, 2022, at 5:30 a.m.
During the burglary, various items were stolen including men’s and women’s clothing, jewelry, footwear, N200,000.00 in cash, perfumes, body spray, caps, and other items valued at N2.1 million.
One of the victims reported to the police, saying, “I got a call while on my way to church that my shop had been broken into. When I arrived, I found the thief in possession of some of the stolen goods. The thief confessed that they were a group of four, but three others had escaped with the majority of the items.”
“Subsequently, we contacted the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigerian Police Force and handed him over to them,” the victim added.
To support the case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented four witnesses and submitted the defendant’s statements as evidence.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Blessing Ajileye stated, “I am convinced that the prosecution has successfully proven the core aspects of the theft charges against the defendant. Therefore, in counts 1, 2, and 4 relating to conspiracy and burglary, the defendant is found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison for each count. As for counts 3 and 5, the defendant is sentenced to three years in prison for each. The periods of imprisonment are to be served concurrently starting from the arrest date.”