Man gets 45 years imprisonment for stealing Osun State gov’s phone

                                           

An Osogbo High Court, yesterday, sentenced a 31-year-old Kelvin Igha Ighodalo to 45 years imprisonment without an option of fine for stealing a Sony Ericsson phone valued at N50,000 belonging to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, during his swearing in ceremony in 2010.

However, the convict, who faced a six-count charge would only spend 10 years in prison on

each of the first three charges while he also bagged five years jail term on each of the last three counts, as all the six counts charge will run concurrently.The court was told that the convict had earlier served six years imprisonment in Ikoyi prison in connection with a murder case from year 2005 to 2011.

Kelvin who was charged with conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretence, stealing, impersonation and advance free fraud, pleaded guilty to all the charges.

According to the charge sheet, Kelvin and others now at large on May 24, 2011 impersonated the governor by using his phone with intent to defraud and obtained N500,000 from Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran Owa-Obokun of Ijesha land.

The prosecutor, Mr. Biodun Badiora also told the court that the convict had earlier accosted one Shenge Rahman and defrauded him of N200,000.

The defence counsel, Mr. Amaechi Ngwu pleaded with the court to be lenient with his client by giving him minimum punishment.

In his judgment, Justice Jide Falola discountenanced the plea of the defence counsel and sentenced Kelvin to 10 years imprisonment without option of fine.