Yusuf Muazu, a 30-year-old man has been convicted by a Life Camp Magistrates Court in Abuja for stealing a bowl of food and a cup of cold water and sentenced to sweep the court premises for three hours.
Muazu who pleaded guilty to the crime and begged for leniency, had sneaked into a compound in Life Camp and made his way into the kitchen of one Chidibere Lewechi, where he stole a bowl of food with meat from a pot and a cold cup of water from the refrigerator, according to reports.
“I plead for mercy, I want the court to forgive me. I was really hungry and I entered the woman’s’ kitchen and saw a pot of food and I fetched some and also a cup of water,” he said.
The police had charged him for criminal trespass and theft, an offence which contravenes Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code Law.
Magistrate Sharon Tanko in her ruling said being hungry does not give the convict the right to commit such offence, thus he would be punished for his crime. The magistrate therefore, sentenced him to three hours community service, of sweeping the court premises.
