A Kaduna State Chief Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a teenager, Kefas Dauda, to eight months in prison for the theft of a laptop and two cellphones.
Dauda, a resident of the Barnawa area in Kaduna, faced charges of trespass and theft.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel handed down the sentence after Dauda pleaded guilty to the charges. The magistrate specified that there was no option of a fine for the offender.
Additionally, he ordered Dauda to pay either N237,450 as compensation to the complainant, Williams Timothy, or return the stolen phones.
Magistrate Emmanuel emphasized that the judgment serves as a deterrent to others considering engaging in similar criminal activities.
The prosecution counsel, Chidi Leo, informed the court that the case was reported by the complainant on September 29 at the Barnawa police station.
Leo outlined that Dauda had entered the complainant’s residence and stolen his official laptop, valued at N450,000. Furthermore, he had entered another house and pilfered two phones, valued at N225,000.
Leo also stated that in July of the same year, Dauda unlawfully entered the residence of Shehu Hassan in the same community and made off with his plasma television, valued at N84,000.
The prosecutor explained that Dauda had sold all the stolen items, including the phones and television, to an individual named Raymond, who is currently at large.
The offenses committed by Dauda fall under Sections 98 and 217 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017. This judgment underscores the commitment of the legal system to uphold justice and discourage criminal behavior in the region.