Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has criticised the three-year prison sentence handed to a 28-year-old auto mechanic, Akeem Jimoh, for stealing tubers of yam worth N35,000 in Osun State.
Jimoh was sentenced on Wednesday by Chief Magistrate Muibah Olatunji of an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of theft.
He admitted in court that he stole 17 tubers of yam out of hunger and begged for leniency, but the magistrate imposed a three-year term with hard labour and no option of fine.
Reacting in a statement, Falana described the ruling as inhumane and called for a review of Nigeria’s sentencing policy to reflect fairness and compassion, particularly in cases involving petty offences.
“It is high time the sentencing policy of the country was made humane.
Why should the government waste scarce public funds on feeding, accommodating, and providing medical care for a convict jailed for stealing tubers of yam worth N35,000?” Falana queried.
He noted that courts in several countries had recognised that stealing food out of hunger should not be treated as a criminal offence.
According to him, the Osogbo ruling failed to consider the social realities that drive such acts.
Falana disclosed that a lawyer has been instructed to file an appeal against both Jimoh’s conviction and the sentence.