by ‘Jola Sotubo

An 83 year old woman in Osun State has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for disrespecting the court.

Madam Mariamo Shittu, was sentenced to one month in prison by a magistrate court in Osogbo, the state capital, for willful disrespect to the court.

The 83-year-old who was reportedly standing trial on a case bordering on a land dispute was absent in the court when the case came up during the one of the proceedings.

The aged woman was later arrested by the police and brought to the court to face the consequence of her action of disrespect to the court.

Addressing the court, the police prosecutor, Inspector Adegoke Taiwo, explained that the action of Madam Mariamo contravened the law and was punishable under Section 133 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II of the Law of Osun State of Nigeria 2013.

When her offense was read to her in the court, the octogenarian pleaded guilty and told the court that her absence from the court was not intentional. She claimed that she was sick and was receiving medical treatment.

The accused who has no previous criminal record prayed the court to be lenient with her as she pledged to make herself available in court for subsequent proceedings on the case.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Magistrate Olusola Aluko sentenced the 83-year-old woman to one month imprisonment at the Ilesa maximum prison with the option of N2,500.