Student bags six-month jail term for stealing laptops worth N325,000

A 22-year old Student, Umar Farouk, was on Tuesday sentenced to six months imprisonment at a Kado Grade 1 Area Court Abuja, for stealing two laptops worth N325,000.

Farouk of Jahi Abuja, who pleaded guilty to the charges of criminal tresspass and theft, however, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy and be lenient with him.

“Yes I committed the offence, the economy has been really difficult especially with the ongoing strike and I regret my actions; I ask that the court have mercy on me,’’ the convict said.

Delivering judgment, the Area Court Judge, Mohammed Wakili Justice, convicted and sentenced him following his admission of the offence.

Justice said the court found the defendant guilty of the offence, in line with his plea for mercy.

“Farouk is hereby sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option to pay N10,000 fine,” Wakili pronounced.

He ruled that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to those with similar intentions, adding that cases of theft were becoming rampant in the society.

The Area Court Judge advised the convict to be of good behaviour by using his talent as an IT student to take care of himself and avoid committing crime in future.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Edwin Ochayi, said Mr Sadiq Aroke of Lugbe Abuja, also the Manager of Prized Photos Jabi Shoprite, reported the matter at Life Camp Police station on July 27.

Ochayi told the court that the convict had committed the offences at 8:50 p.m. on April 5, at Prized Photos Jabi Shoprite, Abuja.

According to him, the convict entered into the photo shop at Jabi Shoprite and complained that the ATM machine in the mall swallowed his ATM card.

He said while at the shop, Farouk tactically picked the office keys, which gave him access into the photo studio where he stole two HP laptops, one valued at N225,000 and the other N100,000.

The counsel further said the convict ran to an unknown destination, not knowing the CCTV camera captured him, saying during police investigation on July 27, Farouk was arrested.

The offence, Ochayi said, contravened the provisions of the Penal Code Law.