22-Year-Old Jailed 3 Months for Stealing 7 Chickens Worth N57,000

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old man, Sunday Gmaed, to three months in prison for stealing seven chickens valued at N57,000.

Chief Magistrate Kehinde Awosika handed down the sentence after Gmaed changed his initial plea to guilty and begged the court for leniency. He was, however, given an option to pay a N30,000 fine in place of serving the jail term.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, told the court that the theft occurred on June 28 around 9:30 a.m. at a poultry farm in Odo village along Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti.

He said the chickens belonged to the complainant, Olaniyi Olasehinde, and that Gmaed had cut through the poultry net and strangled the birds before taking them.

The offence contravened Section 302(1)(a) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

Gmaed was initially arraigned on July 2 on one count of stealing. He pleaded not guilty at the time and was granted bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety. However, during the hearing on July 11, he changed his plea to guilty, leading to the sentencing.