Court jails notorious handset thief in Lagos

Destiny Ameh, a known phone thief from Lagos, Nigeria, was sentenced to prison by Tinubu Magistrates' Court after allegedly terrorizing road users on Lagos Island.

Ameh typically steals people's handbags and cell phones at the Law School Under the Bridge on Victoria Island.

He pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought against him by the Police at the Barbeach Division, Victoria Island, Lagos for stealing a Techno phone valued at N65,000 from one Rebecca Akapa at the Law School Under the Bridge Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. He was found guilty and sentenced to one month in prison without the option of a fine by Magistrate, T.A. Idowu.

Ajaga Agboko, the Police Counsel, presented the case's facts to the court.

On Christmas Eve, December 25, 2022, according to the police, Ameh stormed out of his hiding place at the Law School Under the Bridge on Adeola Hopewell Street, pounced on the victim, took her Techno phone worth N65,000, and fled.

The victim reported the ugly incident to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island, who promptly instructed his top team, under the leadership of Inspector Dimka Nenrot, to track down the fleeing suspect and recover the stolen phone from him, according to the police.

The police team sprang into action, found the offender sipping beer at a beer parlor, and arrested him there.

When asked why he was caught drinking beer rather than purchasing food to eat because he claimed hunger drove him to be stealing phones from owners during the course of the investigation, Ameh reportedly begged the Police to have pity on him and said that hunger pushed him to be doing so.

As a result, he was accused of theft and appeared before the Tinubu Magistrate's Court.

Ameh admitted guilt to the accusation; as a result, Magistrate Idowu found Ameh guilty and sentenced her to prison.

Source