Eberechi Obinagwam
The Lagos High Court has sentenced three yahoo boys to six months imprisonment for the possession of fraudulent documents containing false information.
The presiding judge, O. A Taiwo of Special Offence Court, after listening to the defence counsel plea that he tempers justice with mercy, sentenced them to six months imprisonment or a fine of N250,000 to be paid as a community service.
“This Yahoo thing is everywhere. All the young people are doing it. It’s becoming too rampant,” the judge said.
One of the Yahoo boys, Temitope Samson, pleaded guilty to the one count charge levelled against him.
His lawyer, while pleading on his behalf, said: “I am pleading to my lord to temper justice with mercy. He is a first time offender. He has not wasted the time of the lordship. He is a young man, just 23 years old. He was influenced by the peer group. He is a professional barber and presently has issues with his shop of which he needs N25,000 to pay. I plead with you to grant him bail with a fine or community service as is done in Singapore,” he said.
The judge tempered justice with mercy to the defendant considering the fact that he is a young man by reducing his one year sentence to six months imprisonment or a fine of N250, 000.
The second accused person was Okoubo Derrick, age 27. He was charged for possession of fraudulent documents containing false pretence.
The judge granted him bail with six months imprisonment or a fine of N250, 000 on account that he is newly married and has a baby with a young wife after he pleaded guilty of his counts.
His defence counsel pleaded thus: “I am pleading to my lordship to temper justice with mercy, reasons being that he is an SSCE holder that wants to further his education. He is newly married to a young wife and a baby. He has learnt his lessons and has promised with an undertaking never to do it again. And I will ensure that he starts a new life and I will personally buy him equipment,” he said.
Finally, the accused, Uduogwu Freeborn, 35, a national diploma holder, was also charged for possession of fraudulent documents containing false pretence.
The defence counsel pleading guilty said: “It’s his first time. He has not wasted governments resources to go for trial. His wife already has a child for him. She lost her six months of pregnancy on her husband’s arrest. He has a legitimate business. He just came back from Malaysia for his traditional marriage and his daughter is seeing him for the first time since his arrest in March. He has also forfeited all including a Toyota Camry, three HP laptops, and one Samsung. I plead my lordship to free him so he can be of good use to himself and his family.”
The judge amended his charge by sentencing him to four months imprisonment or fine of N250,000 because he has been in custody since the 13th of March 2019.
