A Karimo Upper Area Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced a 33 year old technician, Tosin Adeyemi to two weeks imprisonment for attempting to steal from a handbag in Church.
The convict, of Gwagwa Village, Abuja, was sentenced on a lone-count charge of attempting to commit offence.
The judge, Mohammed Abubakar, however, gave the convict an option of N3, 000 fine, even as he warned him to desist from involvement in crime, especially in worship places. The judge also ordered that the handbag be returned to the owner.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that the convict was whisked away to Kuje Prisons when he could not pay the fine.
The police First Information Report (FIR) said that one Johnson Mbanirusi of Mountain of Fire Ministry, Utako District, Abuja, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station.
According to the prosecuting counsel, David Kafancha, the convict intentionally went to the Utako branch of the Mountain of Fire Ministry to steal.
David Kafancha said that the convict had on Tuesday pretended to be a worshipper, but he was apprehended and handed over to the police while trying to steal from the handbag.
The prosecutor said that the convict admitted committing the offence during police investigation and interrogation.
David Kafancha said the offence contravened Section 95 of the Penal Code.
After the convict pleaded guilty and prayed for leniency, the prosecutor urged the court to invoke Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justices Act, 2015 on summary trial. [myad]
