Repeated Offender Begs Lagos Judge For Mercy

Augustine Anthony

There was a mild drama at the Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria recently when an ex-convict, Augustine Anthony, who was facing another criminal charge informed the presiding magistrate, Mrs M. B. Folami that he has just finished serving a prison term a week before he was arraigned and she should be lenient with him by giving him a mild jail term.

This generated laughter in the court as the magistrate told him that she observed that he was a regular guest at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons in Lagos and would be lenient with him.
The convict also confessed to the magistrate during sentencing that he has no visible means of livelihood.
We learnt that he has been in and out of prison at Kirikiri over the years because of the various crimes he committed.

Anthony also pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing preferred against him and was sentenced under Section 34 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State of Nigeria.
A week after he was released from prison, we gathered that he was arrested and arraigned before the court again for stealing properties worth N700,000.

He was alleged to have burgled a house at 24 Morakinyo Street Ejigbo and stole properties belonging to Vincent Alumona.
The properties he stole include a plasma television, fans, cables and others. He allegedly kept the stolen goods with a security guard in the area.
He was later arrested with the security guard.

He confessed to the police and the court that he stole the items to start a business after he came out of prison.
He also told the police that he has not been in touch with his family in Isoko in Delta State to seek their assistance to set up a business.

After listening to him, the magistrate sentenced him to eight months imprisonment without an option of fine. The court also ordered that he should go back to his family in the village after serving his term. (PMreport)