A 21-year-old security guard, Mohammed Yunusa, has pleaded guilty to stealing a bag of rice and a bag of maize, citing hunger as the reason for his actions.
The incident was heard at a magistrate court in Kubwa, Abuja, where Yunusa admitted to committing the offence.
According to Yunusa, he was employed by retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Ali Janja as a security guard after the previous guard, Aminu Haruna, traveled in December.
He explained to the court that while his employer was away in Kaduna, he was left under the care of Janja’s children, who allegedly refused to give him food.
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“I stole one bag of rice and one bag of maize for my food and not for selling,” Yunusa told the court, pleading for leniency. He also mentioned that he had spent 19 days in police custody before being brought to trial.
The prosecution counsel, John Okpa, informed the court that he would not be applying for compensation as the stolen items had already been recovered.
The matter was initially reported to the police by Jibrin Dauda, an officer attached to Yunusa’s employer. The police alleged that Yunusa conspired with the former security guard, Haruna, to steal the food items, which were valued at N500,000.
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The prosecution argued that the offence was in violation of Sections 97 and 288 of the Penal Code.
Magistrate Oyepeju Mustapha sentenced Yunusa to two months of community service within the court premises. However, she ruled that if he could not provide a guarantor, he would serve a one-month prison term instead.