A 23-year-old convict momentarily escaped from the Mapo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Tuesday when the magistrate stepped briefly to her chamber to write her judgment.

It took the efforts of some police officers and a soldier, who threatened to gun down the convict if he refused to stop before he was rearrested and brought to justice.

Upon his rearrest, the magistrate, Mrs O.

O. Latunji, sentenced the convict, Abubakar Bello, to six years imprisonment.

Latunji said she convicted and sentenced Bello based on the overwhelming evidence tendered against him by the police as well as his confessional statement.

According to the magistrate, she took note of the fact that pleading guilty to an offence should be accorded a reduced sentence.

“However, to serve as a deterrent to others, you are hereby sentenced to three years imprisonment for each of the two offences.

“The sentence has no option of fine and shall run concurrently,” Latunji said.

The police prosecutor, Insp Oluseye Akinola, had earlier told the court that the convict was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

Akinola said the convict stole N3.5 million worth of electrical cables from a filling station at Odo-Ona Kekere, Ibadan, on Oct. 28.

The prosecution said one Mayowa Balogun, Manager of Olabanji Oil and Gas Station at Odo-Ona Kekere, reported the stealing at Mapo Police Station, after which the police swung into action.

According to Akinola, the convict, who had just returned from a jail term, was apprehended by the security guard of the filling station at about 4.00 a.m., after cutting electrical installations.

“Other members of his gang are now at large,” he said.

The prosecutor said it was not the first time the convict would be leading his gang to steal from the filling station.

He said the offences contravened Sections 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State 2000. (NAN)

An Ogun Special Anti-Cultism Court sitting in Abeokuta, on Friday, sentenced 27- year-old Afeeze Ishola to seven years in the correctional centre for belonging to a secret cult.

The convict, who resides at Otitoloju St., Mile 2, Along Ayetoro Road in Abeokuta, was convicted  on a one-count charge of membership of an unlawful society.

The Magistrate, Mr J.

A Akan, said that the Prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the convinct was guilty as charged.

Akan also held that the evidence presented by prosecution was tenable and sentenced the convict to seven years without an option of fine.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp.

Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Sept. 2, 2022 at about 4:30am at Opara 11 Estate Rounder, Abeokuta.

Rawlings said that in the video, the convict was arrested by a security man keeping surveillance over the community.

“Ishola was found roaming about the community, when the security man on duty stopped him and interrogated him,” she said.

She further said that he was trying to escape from the hands of another rival cult, which wanted to kill him, and was later handed over to a policeman living in the community.

According to her, the defendant is a member of the Eiye Confraternity Cult group.

She also said that upon his arrest, the convict made a confessional statement that he belonged to a secret cult.

Rawlings said the offence contravened Section 34 and Punishable under Section 36 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and other Anti-Violence and other Related Offences Laws, 2016. (NAN)

A Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan on Thursday invalidated the marriage between one Sunday and Tosin Orilayo due to nonpayment of bride price.

Delivering judgment on a divorce case filed by Sunday, the court President, Mrs S.M. Akintayo said that there was no marriage to be dissolved between Orilayo and Tosin due to the absence of payment of bride price.

Akintayo added that for any customary marriage to be lawful in Nigeria,  there must be payment of dowry, capacity to marry and presentation of gifts.

“Since the above requirements were absent, the marriage between the duo is invalid.

“Custody of the second child is granted to the petitioner while the respondent is granted custody of the first child.

“Orilayo is ordered to take full responsibility on the education and general welfare of the two children henceforth.

“Both the petitioner and the respondent must provide each other reasonable access to the children,” Akintayo held.

The petitioner, Orilayo, had in his divorce suit, accused his estranged wife of infidelity and unruly behavior.

Orilayo, a carpenter, of Alata road Ifesowapo area of Ibadan and a father of two, said that he truly loved Tosin his wife and could do anything for her sake, hence, the reason why he allowed his monthly salary to be paid into her bank account.

He expressed sadness that Tosin became so unruly immediately after they started living together.

“My lord, Tosin suddenly became unruly and a liar. At some points, she spent most of my salary and merely gave me the remaining balance.

“I had no access to my monthly earning and she decided to be giving me a meagre amount that was not even enough for my transportation when I was working outside Ibadan.

“Later, Tosin started having an extra-marital affair with a man whom she referred to as her lover.

“She eventually moved out of my home with our first child in January this year,” Orilayo said.

However, Tosin denied the allegation of adulterous lifestyle leveled against her, adding that her husband could not substantiate his accusation against her.

Tosin, a trader and a resident of Opere village near Ibadan said that Orilayo paid no bride price on her.

“I’ve moved out of his home since January because there have been no form of communication and relationship between both of us since he started accusing me of infidelity in 2020,” Tosin said. (NAN)