Court jails labourer 18 months for stealing television set

An Upper Area Court sitting in Masaka, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old labourer, Yusuf Ismail, to 18 months imprisonment for stealing a television set.

Ismail, who resides at Angawan Maiya Masaka, was convicted on a three-count of conspiracy, housebreaking, and theft.

The judge, Mr. Yakubu Ishaku, sentenced him after he pleaded guilty to the crime and begged for forgiveness. Ishaku, however, gave the convict an option of a fine of N8, 000.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Frank Swem, had told the court that one Hauwa Adam of the same address with the defendant reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Masaka, on Aug. 18.

Swem said at about 4.20 p.m. on Aug. 17, the complainant returned from work and discovered that some persons broke into her room through the window and made away with her television set valued N78, 000.

He added that in the course of the investigation, the defendant was arrested and when interrogated, he confessed to being one of the perpetrators of the crime.

The prosecutor said that the defendant committed the crime with two other persons now at large.

Swem said that the offenses contravened the provisions of Section 97, 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.