Ajisebi Oyo Radio & TV

Drama of STOLEN PROPERTY

(Mr. Mellow has vacation at his workplace, as a friend of the Court, he accompanied Barrister Ojulari to Court to watch the proceeding, Barrister Ojulari’s Intern is also with them inside the car as they are going back to the Chambers from the Court.)

MR MELLOW:- Hey! Lawyer, this car of yours, you should have changed its colour to black and white since that is the colour of the clothes that you and your Learned Colleagues always wear in Court.

BARR. OJULARI:–(smile) That will incur too much expenses, I am not interested in changing the colour of my car.

MR MELLOW:- Which expenses again? Is there any more expenses than to pay the painter and start using your car afterwards?

BARR. OJULARI:– Of course, there are, I will have obtain Approval from the appropriate authority, after that Approval, a new vehicle license will be issued to me, and I will have to pay for everything[1], I don’t have time to go through all those processes.

MR MELLOW:- You are here again with this law matter, what concerns a new license and approval with changing the colour of your vehicle?

BARR. OJULARI:– So you don’t know that it is an offence to change the colour of ones vehicle without obtaining approval and get new vehicle license? In fact, it is an offence that attracts a fine or six moth imprisonment [2].

MR MELLOW:- Really! Ah, another lesson has just been learnt.

BARR. OJULARI:– That’s good.

MR MELLOW:- One of my neighbors called Mr. Jaguar wants to sell 2 laptops to me, normally the price of each of those laptops should be 600k but he told me to pay 100k for each of the laptops, would you like to benefit from that cheap offer?

BARR. OJULARI:– (smile) Is it not Mr. Jaguar that does not have a job?

MR MELLOW:- Yes he is! If you see those laptops, you will see that it is an Alienware .

BARR. OJULARI:– Has he told you that he stole it from a store?

MR MELLOW:- How did you know that, you must be a clairvoyant for knowing that. He stole it of course, he told me that he stole it from a store, but he assured me that he will use the PROCEEDS of this theft to start a small P.O.S business

BARR. OJULARI:– This means that you know that those laptops were stolen from a store .

MR MELLOW:- Hmmm! Yes! I know, but….

BARR. OJULARI:– (interruptedly) But what? I know you won’t buy those things, you are just pulling my legs.

MR MELLOW:- But I like those laptops.

BARR. OJULARI:– God forbids, may you not like what will take you to prison in your life.

MR MELLOW:- Prison! (angrily) if this is what you will be using to play with me, it is better for me to disassociate myself from you, am I the one who stole these laptops from a store? Why will you be using imprisonment to play with me. None of my family members has ever been to prison.

BARR. OJULARI:– Huh! Alhaji professor! You appear more handsome as you are angry.

MR MELLOW:- Abeg! Stop that expensive joke.

BARR. OJULARI:– I love you, and I must tell you this, none of your family members has ever been to prison, may the title of prisoner not begin from you in your family! If he is later caught and apprehended, you also will be charged to court for the offence of RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY and Ah! It will be too painful.

MR MELLOW:- (Surprised) Are you serious! It won’t be funny if I should use my money to buy imprisonment for myself.

BARR. OJULARI:– This offence is so much serious that if the items stolen is from a POSTAL MATTER whoever that receives, buys or help the thief to keep such an item will be imprisoned for life. [3]

MR MELLOW:- Ah! This Law again!

BARR. OJULARI:– Hear this too, If Mr. Jaguar or whatever you call him had obtained those laptops from armed robbery operation or any other offences that constitute FELONY, if you dare to buy them from him, it is fourteen years imprisonment! [4a].

MR MELLOW:- And that guy is dangerous, I can not say that he did not obtain those laptops from armed robbery operation.

BARR. OJULARI:– It does not end like that, if those laptops were obtained by means of any act that constitutes MISDEMEANOR, that is just ordinary seven years imprisonment.[4b]

MR MELLOW:- Honestly, I did not even know that this an offence. But please can you tell me the meaning of FELONY and MISDEMEANOR[5] that you just mentioned.

BARR. OJULARI:- I wont have to tell you that now, come and check law textbooks in my library when we reach office.

MR. MELLOW:- But this life must be too hard for the Ignorants! Imagine, some people will be in the prison now for just the reason that they bought stolen property.

BARR. OJULARI:- Not only because one buys a stolen property that can lead one into prison, even if someone helps a thief to sell, or to keep a stolen property save or has it in his possession after one has known that such a property was stolen, the person will be liable

MR. MELLOW:-Ah! I thank God, you save me again .

BARR. OJULARI:- In as much as the goods in the hand of the Accused was stolen and the person received or bought the stolen good and that person knows at time of receiving or buying those good that those goods were stolen, such a person will be jailed [6].

MR. MELLOW:-Huh! I understand

BARR. OJULARI:-Even if they are unable to prove that you know, that those goods were stolen, it will still be confiscated from you.

MR. MELLOW:- That means I may lose my money and freedom.

BARR. OJULARI:-“Nemo dat quo Non Habet” You can not validly give out what you does not legally belong to you. Because Mr. Jaguar is not the legal owner, he can not sell it to you. So, you may loose many things.

MR. MELLOW: Hmmmmm! Okay, anytime I need something now, I will be buying it from a store I may even collect receipt.

BARR. OJULARI:-Well, that will be good sha! That’s what will be vindicating you whenever case like this arises. Please always buy items from the Market overt.

(BARR. OJULARI parked in front of his Chambers, all of them alight and enter the Chambers)

To be Continued, if and only if Allah wishes.

FOOTNOTES:
1. INCUR:- . to lose money, owe money, or have to pay money as a result of doing something

2. PROCEEDS:- money obtained from an event or activity.

3. POSTAL MATTER:- letters and packages of various kinds, carried in the mail; such material as may be transmitted through the post-office.

REFERENCE(S)

[1]. Regulation 13 (1) of the National Road Traffic Regulation Act, 2012

[2]. Regulation 13 (4) National Road traffic regulation Act 2012

[3]. Section 427 of the Criminal Code

[4a]. Section 427 of the Criminal Code

[4b]. Section 427 of the Criminal Code

[5] See A.A ABDULRAUF “Language of the Law- Episode 4“ on https://www.facebook.com/100007277466325/posts/3094514490801103/?app=fbl

[6] A.M ADEBAYO “Criminal Code Act and other related Acts [Annoted with cases]” p499


ABDULRAUF Abdullahi Adebayo, is a Law student, a Certified Teacher and a Writer. He can be reached on the following media;

FACEBOOK PAGE: Abdullahi A Abdulrauf
WHATSAPP : https://wa.me/message/GPDWM5CB2V27O1
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