Man who confesses to stealing two tubers of yam to quench hunger, gets nine months jail term

On Thursday, a Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan in Kaduna State sentenced Cletus Gandu, a 40-year-old man, to nine months in prison for stealing two tubers of yam.

 

 

 

 

Gandu admitted to the theft, explaining that he stole the tubers of yam because he was hungry.

 

 

 

He, therefore, pleaded for leniency, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

Magistrate Michael Bawa imposed a three-month sentence for criminal trespass and nine months for theft, but also offered an alternative of a N50,000 fine.

 

 

 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) charged Gandu with criminal trespass and theft under sections 327 and 270 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.

 

 

 

According to NSCDC prosecutor Mr. Marcus Audu, the complainant, Alice Daniel, reported the theft to their office in Kafanchan on July 15.

 

 

 

Audu noted that Gandu stole the tubers of yam from Daniel’s farm in Zonkwa on two different occasions and confessed to the crime during the investigation.