A security guard, Joseph Meshack, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State after pleading guilty to charges of burglary and theft.
Meshack was arraigned alongside a second defendant, Akon Samson, on a five-count charge related to shop breaking and stealing within the Oba Afunbiowo Housing Estate in the Oke Aro area of Akure.
The prosecution, led by D.S. Msonter-Shagba, informed the court that the incident took place on February 20, 2026. The defendants were accused of breaking into a shop belonging to Ogunsanmi Kehinde, from which they stole a crate of soft drinks, onions, and generator wires with a total value of N63,000.
Additionally, the duo was charged with the theft of a Sun King solar light belonging to Mrs. Temilade Ayodeji, valued at N95,000.
The offenses brought against the defendants contravened sections 383, 390(3), 410, 413, and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006. During the proceedings, the prosecution urged the court to impose a penalty that would serve as a deterrent to others.
Magistrate Sekoni, noting that Meshack was entrusted with the security of the Afunbiowo Housing Estate at the time of the crime, sentenced him to three years of imprisonment on each of the five counts. The court granted the convict options of fines ranging from N50,000 to N100,000.
The second defendant, Akon Samson, was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.
The court has adjourned the case to May 4, 2026, for further hearing.