A Minna magistrate’s court in Niger State, yesterday, sentenced a butcher, Abdulrahman Umaru, to 30 days imprisonment for stealing a goat. Umaru, 28, was earlier arraigned on a count charge of theft, contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code.
In her ruling, Magistrate Amina Musa said the prosecution had proved its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and that she had also taken note of the guilty plea of the accused. Musa, therefore, convicted Umaru of the offence and sentenced him to 30 days in prison.
The magistrate, however, gave the convict an option of N5,000 fine. Musa also ordered Umaru to pay N25,000 to the complainant as restitution for the goat that was stolen.
The prosecutor, Inspector Alfred Auta, had told the court that one Amina Mohammed of Maitumbi in Minna had reported the matter at the police station on July 24. Auta said Mohammed reported that Umaru had stolen a goat belonging to her, valued at N25,000 and slaughtered it in a uncompleted building.
When the charge was read to Umaru he pleaded guilty, but urged the court to show him mercy. Consequently, the prosecutor urged the court to summarily try the convict in line with Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He also prayed the court to order Umaru to pay N25,000 as restitution to the complai-nant for the stolen goat.
Source: Vanguard
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