26-year-old man gets N10,000 fine for theft

A Magistrates’ Court in Minna yesterday sentenced a 26-yearold man, Rabiu Umaru, to four months’ imprisonment or N10,000 fine for house-breaking and theft. Umaru was arraigned in court on a three-count charge of house-breaking and theft contrary to sections 347, 288 and 327 of the Penal Code.
The police prosecutor, Corporal Haruna Aze, told the court that one Shaba Chado of Old Airport Quarters, Minna, reported the matter to ‘A’ Division Police Station, Minna, on August 5.

Aze said the complainant reported that the suspect of Limawa area, Minna, broke into his shop and made away with two bags of metal iron, 57 kilo of copper wire and broke the glass of his car.
When the charges were read to the suspect, he pleaded guilty to the crime of house-breaking and not guilty to that of theft. He said: “I am guilty of trespassing into his house, but I did not steal anything from the house.
Please forgive me.”In her ruling, the Magistrate, Hafsat Abdullahi, said the suspect could not give the court any genuine reason for his act and therefore sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment.
She said: “After listening to you, you could not show this court why you should not be convicted of the crime; I therefore sentence you to serve a prison term of four months with an option of N10,000 fine.”

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