A Grade A Customary Court sitting in the Mapo area of Ibadan on Tuesday sentenced two vigilante officers, Kenneth Agwazin and Ayuba Pojti, to two years’ imprisonment each for stealing valuables from the vehicle of a crash victim.
Presiding judge, Mrs S.M. Akintayo, convicted the pair after they pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
In her judgment, Akintayo noted that although the defendants were first-time offenders and had spared the court a lengthy trial by admitting guilt, their betrayal of public trust warranted firm punishment. She handed each man a one-year sentence for conspiracy and another year for stealing, to run consecutively.
A third defendant, Tomiwa Akinsola, who denied the charges, was granted bail in the sum of ₦200,000, with two reliable sureties in like amount.
The prosecution, led by Inspector Ayodele Ayeni, told the court that the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on 23 December 2024, beneath the Asi-Bodija bridge in Ibadan.
Ayeni explained that the vigilantes, along with others still at large, broke into the vehicle of one Tade Suara after it had been involved in an accident. Suara was reportedly away at the time, taking his injured relatives to hospital.
Items stolen from the car included 19 rim tyres worth ₦150,000, a JPG speaker valued at ₦450,000, gold jewellery worth ₦600,000, gift items valued at ₦200,000, a toolbox worth ₦150,000, a manual jack priced at ₦15,000, and an electric dispenser also worth ₦15,000. The total loss was estimated at approximately ₦1.13 million.
Inspector Ayeni said the actions of the defendants contravened Sections 516 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.