An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a make-up artist, Tunde Ebikeme, to community service, for stealing beauty products worth N15, 000 from a supermarket.
Magistrate M. O. Ope-Agbe convicted Ebikeme, 24, following his plea of guilty to a one count charge of stealing.
She ordered him to sweep the court’s premises from the fourth floor to the ground floor.
She explained that the convict got only community service as punishment because he had a good skill which he should try to get better at.
Ope-Agbe warned Ebikeme to never involve himself in crime again because he could be sent to prison the next time.
She said: “Prison will not be better for you. I want you to get better with your make-up job, but if you go back to crime, you will be sent to prison.”
The magistrate delivered the judgment after prosecuting police officer, Sgt. Cyriacus Osuji, stated the facts of the case.
Osuji told the court that Ebikeme committed the offence on June 26 at Prince Ebeano Supermarket, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
According to him, the convict entered the supermarket, bought and paid for some items, but concealed other items in his pockets and attempted to leave without paying.
The stolen items were – two nail polish (N10, 000), two Ushas Eye blow pencil (N2, 000), two hair beauty born to glow (N2, 000) and one Honda beauty Eye lashes (N1, 000).
The total cost of the stolen items was N15,000.
“The defendant tried to leave the supermarket with the items he stole before a supermarket attendant accosted him.
“It was the CCTV inside the supermarket that detected that Ebikeme stole the beauty products.
“The supermarket attendant complained to the police that it was the second time Ebikeme had stolen from the supermarket,” Osuji said.
The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and punishable under same.