A Magistrate Court in Minna, Niger State on Wednesday convicted a 26-year-old man, Rabiu Umaru, and sentenced him to four months imprisonment for house breaking and theft.
Umaru was arraigned in the court on a three count charge of house breaking and theft contrary to Section 347, 288 and 327 of the Penal Code respectively.
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.
Corporal Aze said the complainant reported that the suspect, of Limawa Area of Minna, broke into his shop and made away with two bags of metal iron, 57kg of copper wire and broke the glass of his car.
When the charges were read to the suspect, he pleaded guilty of the crime of house breaking and not guilty of theft.
According to him: “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.
Abdullahi 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 fines.”