Drama In Court As Complainant Pleads On Behalf Of Convict

There was a twist of events at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Badagry, Lagos state, when a nominal complainant, James Bassey, pleaded for leniency on behalf of a dry cleaner, Pius Savoir, who was handed a one-month jail term for stealing a pressing iron and N20,000, on Wednesday, July 12.

The Prosecution counsel, ASP Ikem Uko, told the court that the convict committed the offence on July 6 at about 7:00pm at Yeponnawa Str. Church-Gate, Lagos. Uko said the convict stole a pressing iron and N20,000, property of Bassey, the complainant. The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

Delivering judgment in the case, Chief Magistrate Patrick Adekomaiya sentenced Savior following his guilty plea and presentation of the facts of the case. Adekomaiya noted that the convict was a first offender and that the court will be lenient.

The Magistrate thereby sentenced Savior to one-month imprisonment, to spend seven days in prison and the remaining three weeks in Morogbo Police Station, where he would be reporting daily for community service.

 Immediately after the Magistrate pronounced her ruling, Bassey burst into tears and pleaded that the convict should be pardoned.

“My Lord, I don’t have wife or children, it is this convict that always takes care of me. He used to help me to do all my domestic work and massage me, but the habit of stealing my things is too much, that is why I reported him when he stole my money and pressing iron. If you sentence him to prison now, nobody will be assisting me and this could lead to my death'' he said.