Court deports Benin Republic citizen over theft
By Sade Adewale
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A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ondo town, on Friday, ordered the prison authorities in conjunction with the police to handover a Benin Republic citizen, Bashiru Benue to the immigration office for deportation back to his country.
The court ordered the deportation of 35-year-old Benue, back to his country of origin for attempt to steal car in a mechanic workshop.
Benue was earlier arraigned before the court by the police,on January 21,2019, on one count charge of stealing.
He was said to have committed the offence at about 5:30am at the opposite of Civic centre behind Saint Andrew Grammar School in Ondo contrary to and punishable under section 509 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
But the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The police prosecutor Benard Olagbayi told the court that the complainant was no longer interested in going on with the case.
The defendant in his testimony said he is from Benin Republic and that he has nobody in Nigeria, saying he was looking for farm work and was dropped at Ondo by the bus and was without phone, money or contact.
In her ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs Bolatito Ajibade, held that the defendant strayed to Nigeria because of “our porous borders” with no single contact in the entire country.
“That the defendant has no money to feed himself, no work to do, no shelter and no clothing. And such a person’s idle mind is a fertile ground for criminal activities.
“The security of Ondo town and indeed the entire country is a task that must be carried out by all Nigerians,” she noted.
She therefore ordered that the prison authorities in conjunction with the police should transmit the defendant ,Bashiru Benue an illegal alien to the immigration office for deportation back to his country of origin. She, therefore, struck out the case against the defendant under section 325 ACJL 2016.
Ajibade noted that the defendant shall remain in custody until his deportation, adding that in the alternative, he can be released to the Association of Benin Republic indigene or to any reasonable and substantial person in the society, who will be willing to stand for him.
She hinted that the court is to be briefed on any further development as they occur by April 30,2019.
