LAWMA official [who stab an innocent man while trying to apprehend a robber] sentenced to 1 month imprisonment

A Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced an employee of Lagos Waste Management Authority, Ibrahim Fasasi, to one month imprisonment for stabbing a man with knife.

The Magistrate, Mr. Patrick Adekomaya, who gave the judgment, said the sentence should be served with hard labour. Fasasi had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

The magistrate said, “With the evidence before this court and the plea of the accused, he is hereby found guilty as charged.

“But, bearing in mind that the accused is a first offender and in consideration of the peculiar facts of the case, the accused is hereby sentenced to one month imprisonment with hard labour.”

The prosecutor, Victor Eruada, had told the court that Fasasi committed the offence on August 17 at Oyingbo market.

According to him, the accused had mistaken the complainant, Gabriel Babalola, for a man, who stole some items from a shop and stabbed him.

“The accused ran after the complainant to apprehend him for stealing. He asked him to surrender his bag, but he refused.

“In the process, the accused brought out a knife and stabbed the complainant on his hand and collected the bag.

“Unfortunately, the owner of the shop said the complainant was not the one who stole the items,’’ Eruada said.

Eruada said the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.