By Deborah Nnamdi
A 29-year-old man, Olaniyan Taofik, has been sentenced to two years in prison by a Magistrate’s Court in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, for stealing agricultural items and vandalizing property on a local farm.
Taofik was apprehended by operatives of the Osun State Amotekun Corps after committing the offences of unlawful entry, theft, and malicious damage on July 16, 2025, in the Ila-Orangun area.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Abass, Taofik unlawfully entered the farmland of one Omidoyin Clement, a resident of Isale-Osun, and stole various agricultural items. The stolen goods included farm tools, cocoa, bananas, walnuts, and live catfish, with an estimated value of N400,000. He also destroyed a CCTV surveillance camera on the farm valued at N300,000.
“The incident was promptly reported to the Ila-Orangun Command of the Osun Amotekun Corps,” Abass said. “Operatives responded swiftly and apprehended the suspect while he was attempting to sell the stolen items.”
During interrogation, Taofik reportedly confessed to the crime and admitted to having committed similar offences in the past.
The case was prosecuted by the Director of Legal Services for the Osun Amotekun Corps, Barrister Oyedele Akintayo, on behalf of the Osun State Attorney General.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate A.A. Ayeni found Taofik guilty of offences contrary to Sections 81, 390(9), and 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002. The court emphasized the importance of discouraging repeated criminal acts that undermine the livelihood of law-abiding citizens.
In response to the judgment, the Osun Amotekun Corps reiterated its commitment to ensuring public safety, particularly in rural areas where agricultural theft is on the rise. The Corps also called on residents to continue cooperating with security agencies in safeguarding lives and property.
