Cobbler sentenced to 1 year imprisonment for stealing tithe box from church

An Ejigbo Senior Magistrates’ Court in Lagos
state had on Monday sentenced a cobbler,
Stephen Abiodun, to one year imprisonment
with no option of fine for stealing a tithe box
containing N190,000.
The Magistrate, P.E Nwaka, handed down the
sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to a
three-count charge of conspiracy, burglary and
stealing.
Nwaka sentenced the accused to three months
each for conspiracy and burglary, and six
months for stealing, but said that they would
run concurrently.
The magistrate ordered that Abiodun, 39, who
resides at Egan area of Lagos, be taken to
Kirikiri Prisons to serve his jail term.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Corporal Femi Adeleye,
told the court that the accused committed the
offence on Thursday at about 1:30pm at the
Celestial Church of Christ, Parish 7, in Egan, a
suburb of Lagos.
Adeleye said that the accused conspired with
others at large to break into the church, located
at 24, Adisat Falae Street, Egan, and stole the
box containing N190,000.
According to the prosecutor, the alleged
offences contravenes Sections 409, 309 and
285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011.
The accused had told the court that he had
earlier discovered the box when he came to
the church under the guise of seeking spiritual
help.
He had also pleaded with the court for leniency
in the sentence.