A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin presided over by Kudirat Yahaya, has sentenced seven members of a family to six months imprisonment each.
The convicts are Mr. Adedokun Paul, his wife and five children who have been standing trial on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, intimidation, house breaking, theft and mischief.
The case began in 2021.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted the seventh defendants in the case on account of being a minor when he gave evidence.
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The convicts were prosecuted following a petition by Sulyman Abaya & Co, Rahman chambers, Ilorin, on behalf of his client, Ajayi Oluwafemi, a trader at Oja Tuntun who happens to be a son-in-law to the Adedokun family.
Ajayi, through the Police First Information Report (FIR), had accused his in-laws of invading his house, stealing cash and carting away some of his properties following a strained relationship between him and his wife.
The First Information Report stated that the seven members of the same family “On 12/6 /2024 conspired, invaded the petitioner’s house, attacked him and made away with the sum of N1.200.000.00, plasma television set, one electric kettle and one rechargeable lamp under the pretext of assisting their sister, Temitope Oluwafemi who was the wife of the petitioner to pack her belongings.”
During the cause of their trial, the complainant informed the court that the convicts, at different times, launched a series of attacks on him and even engaged some thugs to attack him in which they took him to a bush before he was recused.
Convicting the culprits, Magistrate Yahayah who found all the family members guilty for all the five offences, said “Their action is capable of causing chaos in the society and should not be encouraged.”
He sentenced them to different jail terms on all the charges but gave them the option of a fine of N125, 000 fine representing N25,000 each.
The sentences are to run concurrently.