A 38-year-old bricklayer named Olushola Olatunde was sentenced to 21 years in prison by a Magistrate Court in Akure, Ondo State, for breaking into a church and taking goods worth N1,340,900, including an iron tithe box.
Olatunde was charged with six counts of theft, breaking, and unauthorized entering. In exchange for leniency, he entered a guilty plea to the allegations.
D.S. Msonter-Shagba, the state prosecutor, informed the court that Olatunde committed the offenses in Akure at various times and places between December 24, 2024, and January 8, 2025.
Msonter-Shagba explained that on December 24, 2024, Olatunde broke into the Revelation of God Miracle Church at No. 17 Plaza Road, Isolo, Akure, and took a public address system and a 16-channel live series audio mixer valued at N250,000.
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Similarly, he broke into the Garden of Faith (CAC) Church on December 8, 2024, at No. 7 Ore-Ofe Street, Oke Ijebu, Akure, and took N534,600 worth of goods, including an iron tithe box worth N35,000, two lengths of 12mm rods worth N19,600, a 6.5kV generator worth N250,000, and an amplifier worth N230,000.
The prosecutor further disclosed that on December 24, 2024, Olatunde stole 33 bags of cement from Shasha Market, Kilometre 12, Owo expressway, Akure, with a total worth of N306,900. The total worth of the stolen goods was N1,340,900.
Msonter-Shagba requested the court to convict the defendant, arguing that the offenses violated Sections 383, 390(9), 415, and 413(2) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
Magistrate Damilola Sekoni found Olatunde guilty and gave him a 21-year prison sentence without the possibility of a fine.
“The defendant is sentenced to four years imprisonment each in counts one, two, three, five, and six, and the convict is sentenced to one year imprisonment in count four,” Sekoni said.
Nevertheless, Olatunde will serve four years in prison because the sentences will run concurrently.
