A 22-year-old motorcyclist, Aron Sunday, residing in Dutse Jabu, Abuja, has been sentenced to 10 months in a correctional facility by the Dei-Dei Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for stealing property valued at N700,000.
Sunday pleaded guilty to charges of criminal trespass, housebreaking, and theft brought against him, prompting the judge, Saminu Suleiman, to hand down the sentence. However, the judge offered the option of a N40,000 fine and mandated Sunday to compensate the complainant with N700,000.
While cautioning Sunday to maintain good conduct and refrain from further criminal activities upon serving his sentence, Judge Suleiman indicated that the penalty would have been harsher had the defendant not admitted guilt, thus saving the court the ordeal of prolonged legal proceedings.
The prosecution counsel, Chinedu Ogada, narrated that the complainants, Fagbemi Peter and Yemi Ayeni of Dutse Jabu, Abuja, reported the incident to the Dutse Alhaji Police Station on November 12.
Ogada detailed that on the said date at approximately 4:00 am, Sunday unlawfully entered the complainant’s premises by scaling the fence and broke into their bedroom through the ceiling, leading to his apprehension. Additionally, the defendant had previously burgled the complainant’s house twice, making off with valuables totaling N700,000, including a savings box containing N300,000, along with irons, electric wires, sockets, a pumping machine, and a wall light.
The prosecutor added that in another instance in October, Sunday unidentified accomplices unlawfully accessed Ayeni’s shop, stealing her Tecno pop7 phone and a purse containing N120,000.
During police interrogation, Sunday admitted to the crimes. The offenses contravened sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.
