Abuja Man Sentenced To 5 Months Jail Term For Stealing Cock Worth N4,000

A Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Sunday Ogboji, to five months in prison for stealing a cock worth N4, 000.In his defense, Sunday the cock thief

confessed that he hasn't eaten chicken meat for a long time, hence the devil pushed him into the heinous crime.The Judge, Alhaji Mohammed Ado, however, gave Ogboji, a technician, an option of
N6, 000 fine for the two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft and warned him to desist from crimes.Ado also ordered the convict, who resides at Kado Village, Abuja, to pay N4, 000 as restitution to the nominal complainant.Earlier, the Prosecutor, Augustine Urom, told the court that Insp. Simon Aliyu of same address with the convict reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, on Aug. 14.Urom said the complainant reported that on Aug. 8, he saw the convict stealing one of his birds valued at N4, 000.The prosecutor said that when Ogboji was arrested and interrogated by the police, he admitted stealing the cock and eating it.Urom said that the offences committed contravened Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.The convict pleaded guilty to the offenses and prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.Ogboji said that he did not know what possessed him to steal the cock although he had not eaten meat for a long time.He promised to be of good behaviour in future.
NAN