AN Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a Make-up artist, Tunde Ebikeme, to community service, for stealing some beauty products worth N15,000 from a supermarket.
The convict, 24-year-old Ebikeme, was arraigned on a count charge of stealing, to which he pleaded guilty.
The Magistrate, Mrs M. O. Ope-Agbe, who handed down the verdict, warned the convict never to involve himself in crime because next time, he would be sent to prison.
She said that Ebikeme should sweep the court’s premises from the fourth floor to the ground floor.
The magistrate added that the convict got only community service as punishment because he had a job which he should try to get better at.
“Prison will not be better for you, I want you to get better with your makeup job but if you go back to crime, you will be sent to prison,’’ Ope-Agbe said.
The magistrate made the pronouncement after the prosecutor, Sgt. Cyriacus Osuji had given the facts of the case.
He said that the facts were as stated in the charge.
Osuji had told the court that the Ebikeme committed the offence on June 26, at Prince Ebeano Supermarket, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
He said that the convict entered the supermarket under the guise of buying some items, paid for some items but hid others in his pockets.
Osuji said the Ebikeme stole two nail polish worth N10, 000; two Ushas Eye blow pencils worth N2, 000; two hair beauty born to glow worth N2, 000 and one honda beauty Eyelashes worth N1, 000.
The prosecutor said that the total amount of all the items stolen was N15, 000 belonging to Prince Ebeano Supermarket.
“Ebikeme tried to leave the supermarket with the items he stole before a supermarket attendant accosted him.
“It was the CCTV inside the supermarket that showed that Ebikeme stole the beauty products.
“The supermarket attendant complained to the police that it was the second time Ebikeme stole from the supermarket,’’ Osuji said.
The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).
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