From Yemi Oyelola Kaduna
A Grade I Area Court Karu, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced a 21-year old man, Nura Suleiman, to 15 months in prison for stealing five Abuja Electricity Distribution Company prepaid metres from residents.
The convict, who resides at Karu Site, Abuja, pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal trespass, mischief in relating to electricity and theft, but begged for leniency.
The judge, Sani Mohammed gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N45,000.
Mohammed who said there was no excuse for committing crimes warned the convict to change his ways.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Vincent Osuji, told the court that one Abdulsalam Bolaji of Cornershop, Karu, Abuja, reported the matter at the Karu Police Station on July 5.
“The complainant alleged that on same date, the convict trespassed into his compound at the above-mentioned address, deliberately damaged and stole his AEDC prepaid metre before he was caught and apprehended.
“After he was arrested, four additional prepaid meters were found in the convict’s possession, which he confessed to have stolen from four different victims.
“However, the five AEDC prepaid metres were recovered from the convict, as he confessed to having committed the crime,” Osuji said.
The offence contravened the provisions of sections 80, 348, 287, 319 and 306 of the Penal Code.
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