Man bags 5 years jail term for stealing tricycle

A Kano Magistrates’ Court, on Monday, sentenced a 32-year-old man, Musa Sale, to five years imprisonment for stealing a tricycle worth N450,000. Musa, who resides at Kwana Hudu Quarters Kano, was convicted on a two-count charge of joint act and theft, contrary to Sections 79 and 288 of the Penal Code.

The convict, who pleaded guilty to the charge, urged the judge to temper justice with mercy.

In his judgment, Senior Magistrate Aminu Fagge, held that the court had taken into account the fact that the convict was a first time offender.

Fagge sentenced the convict to 12 months imprisonment for theft and in the alternative to pay a fine of N10, 000.

For joint act in the charge, the magistrate ordered the convict to pay the sum of N450, 000 to the nominal complainant, as compensation for the stolen tricycle or serve four years imprisonment.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Insp Yusuf Sale, had told the court that the convict committed the offence on Oct. 1, 2014.

He said on the same date at about 11:30 a.m, the complainant, Isma’il Abubakar of Brigade Quarters Kano, carried two unknown persons in his tricycle marked KMC 056, Chassis number 62559 and KAROTA number NSR 4741.

The prosecutor said that Musa and one Abba Dansmall, now at large, gave the complainant some water to drink, which he drank and fell unconscious.

Sale said in the process, the convict stole the complainant’s tricycle valued N450, 000.

He further told the court that during police investigation, the tricycle KAROTA number, was found in possession of one Gali Musa, who claimed to have bought it from the convict.

The prosecutor said the convict could not give a satisfactory account of how he got the said tricycle number and confessed to committing the crime.

NAN