A Dei-Dei Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, has convicted a 22-year-old motorcyclist, Aron Sunday for stealing property worth N700,000, and consequently sentenced him to 10 months in jail.
Sunday, a resident of Dutse Jabu in the nation’s capital, was arraigned on three-count charge of criminal trespass, house breaking and theft preferred against him.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared before the judge, Saminu Suleiman.
The prosecution counsel, Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, Fagbemi Peter and Yemi Ayeni, both of Dutse Jabu, Abuja, reported the matter at Dutse Alhaji Police Station on November 12.
He said the robbery happened at about 4:00 am on the same day, when Sunday trespassed into the complainant’s compound by jumping over the fence and broke into his bedroom through the ceiling.
According to Ogada, the defendant had broken into the complainant’s house on two previous occasions and carted away with his savings box containing N300,000 cash, irons, electric wires, electric socket, pumping machine and wall light, all valued at N700 000.
The prosecutor said that some time later in October, the convict and others now at large also criminally went to Ayeni’s shop and stole her Tecno pop7 phone and a purse containing N120,000.
According to the prosecutor, the convict confessed to the crime while being interrogated by police during its investigation. He said the offences violated sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.
Delivering judgment, Saminu Suleiman gave the convict an option of paying N40,000 fine, and ordered him to pay N700,000 to the complainant.
The judge cautioned Sunday to be of good behaviour and desist from committing any other crime after serving his jail term. Suleiman said the punishment would have been heavier if the convict had not saved the court the rigour of protracted prosecution.