Court sentences man for pouring acid on three persons

An Abule-Egba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Friday sentenced a transporter to 120 hours of community service, after he admitted pouring a substance suspected to be acid on three persons.
The Magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, noted that the court gave 26-year-old John Adetokunbo a light sentence.
Elias said: “However, the fact that the defendant has made arrangements for the treatment of the complainants is a mitigating factor in this sentence.
“Therefore, the defendant is sentenced to 120 hours of community service to serve as deterrent to others.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the convict, who was arraigned on January 9, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of grievous harm.
However, during trial, Adetokunbo, who resides at 21, Poultry Street, Command, Ipaja, Lagos, changed his plea.
The prosecutor, Inspector Rachael Williams, had during the arraignment, told the court that the convict committed the offence on November 11, 2012, at Ajasa area of Command in Ipaja, Lagos.
According to her, Adetokunbo poured the liquid substance on the victims during a fight, in contravention of Section 243 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 243 states that any person who unlawfully does grievous harm to another is guilty of a felony and liable to seven years imprisonment.