A Life Camp Magistrates’ Court in Abuja, on Thursday, ordered a 30-year-old Labourer, Yusuf Muazu, to sweep the court premises for three hours for stealing a bowl of food and a cup of cold water.
The Police charged Muazu of no fixed address for criminal trespass and theft.
Muazu, however, pleaded guilty to the charges and begged the court for leniency.
“I plead for mercy, I want the court to forgive me. I was really hungry and I entered the woman’s’ kitchen and saw a pot of food and I fetched some and also a cup of water”.
Magistrate Sharon Tanko, in her ruling, said, being hungry does not give the convict the right to commit such offence, thus would be punished for his crime.
“The court having found the convict guilty of the offence and him being remorseful and not wasting the time of the court in admitting to his crime, is hereby ordered to engage in three hours community service”.
“You are hereby ordered to pick up all the dirt’s and clean up the premises of Life Camp Magistrates’ Court for three hours under the supervision of the court registrar,’’ Tanko said.
The Magistrate, further advised Muazu to relocate back to his home town at Kano or elsewhere where he can be meaningfully engaged to meet his daily needs.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Peter Ejike, FCT Command, told the court that one Chidibere Lewechi of Life Camp, Abuja reported the matter at Life Camp police station, on July 1.
The Prosecutor alleged that the defendant smartly entered into the complainant’s compound and made his way into her kitchen without her consent.
He told the court that the defendant stole a bowl of food with meat from the complainant’s pot with a cup of cold water.
Ejike alleged that while the defendant was about to leave the kitchen with the stolen items, the younger brother to the complainant caught him and held him down with the help of neighbours.
He added that during police investigation, the defendant admitted to having committed the crime.
The Prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code Law.
Source: The Punch
