Lagos: Man bags 2-week community service for stealing at police station

A Badagry Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Monday sentenced a 40-year-old unemployed graduate, Lawrence Akpato, to two weeks of community service for stealing two telephones valued at N100, 000.

The police charged Mr Akpato with a two-count of criminal stealing and breach of the peace.

Magistrate Lazarus Hotepo sentenced the defendant after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He said the unpaid work would last for two hours each day for 14 days.

Mr Hotepo dismissed the charge of breach of public peace for lack of evidence.

The magistrate warned the convict to desist from crimes and be of good behaviour.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Ayodele Adeosun, told the court that the convict committed the offences on July 2, at the Okokomaiko Police Station, Lagos.

Mr Adeosun, a police inspector, noted that the convict stole a Samsung and Tecno phones valued at N100,000 at the Okokomaiko Police Station, belonging to one John Afolarin, a sergeant.

He said the convict also conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 287 and 168 of the Criminal Code, Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Mr Akpato pleaded for mercy, adding that his four children would suffer if he was jailed. (NAN)