Ibadan, March 9, 2026 (NAN) An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Monday sentenced a 24-year-old company employee, Felix Dominic, to two months’ imprisonment for stealing an electric cable worth N45,000.
Dominic, an employee of Yale Sumal Foods Company, had pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of stealing.
The Magistrate, Mrs Gladys Olanrewaju, found him guilty as charged.
Olanrewaju sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment or to pay a fine of N20,000.
She also ordered that the recovered cable be returned to the company.
The magistrate said the court considered the remorse shown by the defendant in delivering the judgment.
She, however, advised him never to engage in crime because he wanted to meet a need.
“There is nobody here who does not have needs to meet, but engaging in crime is never the best way to go about it,” Olanrewaju said.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Samuel Owolabi, reviewed the facts of the case and told the court that the defendant committed the offence on March 6 at about 6.15 a.m. at Yale Sumal Foods Company, Oluyole, Ibadan.
Owolabi said the defendant, while on night duty with the company, stole an electric cable worth N45,000.
“The defendant arrived around 9.00 p.m. After working with other staff members, he deliberately waited until about 1.30 a.m.
“He proceeded to the rail section and removed 15 metres of 2.5mm cable and kept it in the toilet with the intention of carting it away when leaving.
“The act was revealed to the company authorities by some staff.
“In the course of monitoring and investigation, he was later discovered at the exit gate in the morning.
“He had rolled the cable around his stomach and wore his shirt over it.
“He was arrested and brought to court thereafter,” Owolabi said.
Owolabi said the offence contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
After the review of the facts, the defendant pleaded for leniency, saying he stole the cable to sell and get money to feed.
“My parents are living in Jos. My father has lost one leg while my mother is very sick, so I sold my phone to raise money.
“I also sent all the money I had to them because I am the first son and was left with nothing to feed.
“That was why I decided to take the cable to sell. I am not a habitual thief but was pushed into this because of my condition,” he pleaded. (NAN)
