Rita Odafe
In a recent hearing at the Kubwa magistrate court in Abuja, a security guard named Mohammed Yunusa admitted to stealing a bag of rice and a bag of maize due to hunger.
The 21-year-old resident of Dawaki confessed to charges of conspiracy and theft.
“My employer, Ali Janja, a retired Deputy Inspector-General, hired me because the previous guard, Aminu Haruna, was away in December. During his absence, I was responsible for his children, but they did not provide me with food. I took the rice and maize for personal sustenance, not for resale,” Yunusa explained.
He mentioned spending 19 days in police custody and asked the court for leniency, expressing regret for his actions.
The prosecuting attorney, John Okpa, informed the court that he would not seek compensation for the stolen goods, which had already been returned by Yunusa.
Magistrate Oyepeju Mustapha sentenced Yunusa to two months of community service at the court and required him to secure a guarantor. If he fails to do so, he will face a one-month prison sentence.
The case was reported by Jibrin Dauda, a police officer linked to Yunusa’s employer, at the Dawaki Divisional Headquarters on January 12. According to authorities, Yunusa and Haruna had collaborated to steal the items worth N500,000 from their employer’s storage.
This theft was classified as a violation of sections 97 and 288 of the Penal Code.
