Court Sentences Scavenger To 21-Month Imprisonment

An Area Court in Abuja has sentenced a scavenger, popularly called 'babanbola,' Suleiman Abubakar, to 21 months imprisonment for stealing an Mp3 speaker worth N5,000.

The police charged Abubakar, 28, with criminal trespass, housebreaking and theft.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the Area Court Judge, Saminu Suleiman, gave the convict an option of a N30,000 fine.

The convict had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor, Olanipekun Babajide, told the court that on February 5, the complainant, Abdulrahman Myheiminu of Dawaki, Abuja, reported the matter at the Zuba police station.

Babajide said the convict trespassed into the complainant’s house and broke his window worth N80,000.

He said that during the police investigation, the convict made a confessional statement admitting to the crime.

Babajide told the court that the convict was not a first-timer offence.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 348, 346 and 288 of the Penal Code.