Man bags 7 years imprisonment for arson in Ekiti

An Ekiti State High Court Sitting In Ado-Ekiti has Sentenced a 23 year old man, Odeh Gabriel to seven years imprisonment for setting ablaze a cocoa farm in Erio Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government area of the State on Feb., the 25th, 2019.

According to the charge sheet preferred against him, Odeh Gabriel committed the offence at the said date in Ode-Omu farm ,Erio Ekiti when he set fire on cocoa ,banana and other vegetables farms belonging to Saka Ismaila ,Ajayi Benson, Yusuf Wasiu,Jimoh Moshood and Moruf Popoola.

Prosecutor in the case D O Oyewole told the court that the offence is contrary to, and punishable under section 445 a&c of the criminal code Law ,Cap.C16,Laws of Ekiti State. Nigeria 2012.

He called six witnesses while exhibit tentered includes statements of the complainants and defendants, photographs of the burnt farms among others.

The defendant however called one witness and spoke through his counsel O.G Ajaja who pleaded to court to temper justice with mercy.

The trial judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye ruled that the prosecution has proved it’s case beyond a reasonable doubt against the defendant, and found the accused person guilty as charged.

The judge however sentenced the accused person to seven years imprisonment each with an option of N15,000 fine in all the five count charges, to be run concurrently.