An Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 28-year-old auto mechanic, Akeem Jimoh, to three years in prison for stealing 17 tubers of yam valued at N35,000.
Jimoh, who had no legal representation, pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of theft when arraigned on Wednesday.
The offence was committed on July 27, 2025, at the Ataoja Area of Osogbo, where he stole the yams belonging to one Tiamiyu Abegunde.
The charge, read in court, stated that Jimoh’s act contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 2, Laws of Osun State, 2003.
The convict, in his plea, admitted to stealing the items out of hunger and begged the court for leniency.
The police prosecutor, Babatunde Olukokun, however, informed the court that Jimoh had previously served a three-year jail term after standing surety for a suspect who later absconded.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate Muibah Olatunji sentenced Jimoh to three years imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine.
In a related development, similar theft convictions have been recorded in the region. In July, a 21-year-old, Adebanjo Segun, was jailed six months for stealing a fowl in Ogun State, while another man, Kazeem Tobi, received the same sentence for stealing a generator worth N120,000.