3 men bag 5 months imprisonment each for stealing church microphones, speakers

A Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, sentenced three men― Mustapha Haruna, Biliya Usman, and Ibrahim Sani, to five months imprisonment each, for stealing microphones and speakers from a church.

The judge, Mohammed Marafa, sentenced the convicts on charges bordering on a joint act, criminal trespass, house-breaking, theft and abetment.

Marafa, however, gave the convicts an option of N15,000 fine each and warned them to desist from committing a crime.

He also sentenced one Ibrahim Abubakar to six imprisonments for receiving stolen property, saying that if there was no receiver of stolen goods there would be no thief.

The judge gave Abubakar an option of N20,000 fine, and ordered for all the convicts to be given 3 strokes of the cane.

He also advised the complainant, Deacon Segun Lanloye, to institute a civil action for compensation of the items that were not recovered.

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‎The prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, had told the court that the complainant of Redeemed Christian Church, Kubwa, Abuja, reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Station on May 13.

He said that Haruna, Usman and Sani, broke into the said church through the window and stole three fans valued at N7,500 each, and two amplifiers engine valued at N50,000 each.

Other items were one speaker valued at N70,000, four microphones valued at N24,000, and one guitar valued at N50,000.

The prosecutor said police investigations revealed that Abubakar dishonestly received the two amplifiers engine, and two microphones at the rate of N3, 000, knowing that they were stolen.

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He said the stolen items were recovered except one feedback speaker and two wireless microphones and its speaker.

The offences contravened Sections 79, 342, 348, 288, 83 and 317 of the Penal Code.