A high court in Ado Ekiti, state capital of Ekiti State, South West of Nigeria, has jailed a 23 -year old man, Odeh Gabriel, for seven years, for setting ablaze a cocoa plantation.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, said the circumstantial evidence before the court “fixed the defendant to the scene of the crime.”
“In all, I hold that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant,” the judge said. “He is accordingly found guilty as charged.
“He is sentenced to seven years imprisonment each with an option of N15,000 fine in all the five count charges, to be run concurrently.”
According to the charge, Mr Odeh committed the offence on the 25th of February, 2019 at Ode-Omu farm, Erio Ekiti when he set on fire the cocoa and banana plantations as well as other vegetable farms belonging to Saka Ismaila, Ajayi Benson, Yusuf Wasiu, Jimoh Moshood and Moruf Popoola.
The act is said to be contrary to and punishable under section 445 a&c of the Criminal Code, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State. Nigeria 2012.
To prove his case, the prosecutor, D.O Oyewole, called six witnesses while exhibits tendered include statements of the complainants and defendants, photographs of the burnt farms among others.
The defendant called one witness and spoke through his counsel O.G Ajaja who pleaded with the court to be merciful and lenient.