Posted by By Olamilekan Lartey, Benin on
A Federal High Court sitting in Benin on Wednesday, sentenced two brothers to 13 years imprisonment with hard labour.....
A Federal High Court sitting in Benin on Wednesday, sentenced two brothers to 13 years imprisonment with hard labour for vandalising installations of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria valued at N4million.
The court found Godspower and Eric Bluff guilty of a two-count charge of destroying and unlawfully removing PHCN cables and insulators from the power high tension lines in Ibada-Elume villages, near Sapele, Delta State.
The offence is punishable under Section 9 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap 410 Volume XX11 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1990.
The tension lines carried power to Delta State via Ughelli and Benin, Edo State.
The judge, Justice G.O Kolawole, said he was not convinced by the 'cock and bull story" of the brothers that they had gone into the bush at 3am with a wheelbarrow and a panel van to carry palm kernel for a client.
Kolawole also did not buy the story of the brothers that they were framed by members of their community for failing to pay a N100 levy, or the story that the Ibada-Elume youths roped them into the crime because of a disagreement with a child of the community's chairman.
The judge sentenced the two brothers to five and eight years imprisonment respectively on each count. Both counts are, however, to run concurrently.
He said although he had powers to sentence Godspower and Eric to a maximum of 21 years imprisonment, according to the provisions of the law, he was being lenient because the convicts appeared remorseful and needed to be given a second chance because they were young Nigerians.
He added that there was no other form of sentence apart from custody that he could give to the convicts.
Kolawole noted that in giving the sentence, he was guided by the fact that the Nigerian prison system was facing a lot of constraints, among other problems, that had put it under a lot of stress.
The judge said the sentence was deemed to have started from the day the convicts were first arraigned in court, August 6, 2000.
Youths of the Ibada-Eleme Vigilance Group had arrested Godswpower and Eric in their village after they put towers 123 and 124 of the PHCN under surveillance following its vandalisation.
The vandals had hidden the cables and insulators in the bush.
A week later, the two brothers, with others still at large, came to retrieve the items.
They were promptly arrested by the community youths and handed over to the police.
Police Inspector Solomon Akpofure prosecuted the case.
Mrs. Angela Onuegbu of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Enugu, appeared for the state.
PHCN Public Affairs Officer in the Benin Transmission Region, Mr. Edward Adeniran, said the case would serve as a deterrent to other vandals and their sponsors.