A Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Isabo area of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, has sentenced a mother and daughter, Falilatu Amidu and Ayisatu Amidu, respectively, to six months imprisonment each for stealing dry ponmo (cow skin), stock fish, and dried meat.
The defendants were convicted on a two- count charge of conspiracy and stealing on Friday, March 28, 2025.
The Magistrate, O.O Odumosu, held that all evidence presented by the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the woman and her daughter were guilty of the offence as charged.
The prosecutor, Inspector Kehinde Fawunmi, told the court that the defendants committed the offence sometime at Lafenwa market in Abeokuta in August 2024 .
Fawunmi explained that Falilatu conspired with her daughter to steal a big sack containing stock fish, dry ponmo, and dry cow meat valued at N1 million, belonging to one Kafayat Alao
According to him, Falilatu used to help the complainant carry load from her store in Lafenwa, where the latter sells her items.
He added: “The complainant asked her to help her pick goods from the store, she waited for over an hour and she did not see the defendant, which made her go to the store to check on her.
“On getting to the store, she did not see Falilatu, and she noticed a big bag containing dried meat, ponmo, and stock fish was missing, and the defendant was nowhere to be found”
Fawunmi told the court that Falilatu stole the goods and gave it to her daughter to sell the items.
He said Ayisatu received the goods from her mother, knowing that they were stolen.
The prosecutor added that the offence committed contravened sections 516, 390(9), and 127 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.
The magistrate, however, sentenced both the mother and daughter to six months imprisonment, each with a fine option of N5,000.
Odumosu ordered that the convicts should refund N100,000 each to the complainant as restitution before accessing the N5,000 fine.
Credit: The Star
