Osun man sentenced to prison for stealing three tubers of yam

Sunday Ejoh, an aluminium worker from Okinni, Osun State, has been sentenced to six months in jail for stealing three tubers of yam valued at N3,000.

The convict was sentenced by an Osun State Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo.

The court, presided over by Magistrate M. Olatunji, found Ejoh guilty of theft, which is punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Law of Osun State, Nigeria, 2002.

The prosecutor, Jacob Akintunde, presented the facts of the case, stating that Ejoh stole the yams on September 22, 2024, from Oluwole Durojaye. 

In addition to the stolen yams, a cutlass and a pair of slippers were recovered from the defendant.

The artisan, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty, stating that hunger had compelled him to commit the crime.

He told the court, “I was hungry, and I have a family.”
Delivering judgment on the matter, Magistrate Olatunji found the defendant guilty and subsequently sentenced him to “six months’ imprisonment with an option of a N25,000 fine.”

Olatunji also directed that the stolen yam should be returned to the owner.