Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has strongly criticised the three-year prison sentence handed to 28-year-old auto mechanic, Akeem Jimoh, for stealing yam valued at N35,000 in Osun State.
Jimoh was convicted on Wednesday by an Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of theft. He admitted to stealing 17 tubers of yam and explained that he committed the offence out of hunger, pleading for leniency.
Despite his plea, Magistrate Muibah Olatunji sentenced him to three years imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement made available to The Telegraph, Falana condemned the harsh sentence, calling for a more compassionate and rational sentencing policy in Nigeria.
“It is high time that the sentencing policy of the country was made humane,” Falana said. “Why should the government waste scarce public funds on feeding, housing, and providing medical care for a convict jailed for stealing tubers of yam worth N35,000?”
He urged judicial officers to consider global trends in legal systems, particularly in capitalist countries where courts have ruled that stealing food due to hunger should not be treated as a criminal act.
“The attention of judges and magistrates ought to be drawn to the fact that judicial officers in capitalist countries have stated that it is no longer a crime for the poor to steal food to feed themselves and their family members,” he added.
Falana also revealed that his legal team has taken steps to challenge the ruling: “We have briefed a lawyer to file an appeal against the conviction and the three-year jail term of Akeem Jimoh.”
The case has since sparked public outcry, with many Nigerians calling for a more equitable and restorative approach to justice—particularly in cases involving poverty-driven petty theft.
