A Jos Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday sentenced two labourers, Friday Duro, 21, and Friday Audu, 22, to 14 months in prison for stealing a bag of rice.
The duo, who reside at Jenta Adamu Street in Jos are facing a two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft.
The Magistrate, Mr Jovita Binjin, sentenced them after they pleaded guilty to the crime and pleaded for leniency.
In their plea they said that hunger led them to the crime.
“It was hunger that led us to do it, we have stayed without food for days and we needed money to buy food.
“Have mercy on us we will not do it again,’’ they pleaded.
The magistrate in his ruling said that the accused were sentenced to four months in prison for trespass.
“I hereby sentence you to four months in prison for the offence of trespass or pay a fine of N 2, 000 and 10 months in prison for the offence of theft or a fine of N 3, 000,’’ the magistrate ruled.
He said that the sentence was meant to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to engage in similar acts.
Olokunbola Blessing sees this as unfair, because majority of our leaders ( Politicians) are thieves stealing Billion of Naira of our money and when arrested by EFCC and charged to court, the Judge asking them to pay the sum of 2 million or 5 months imprisonment. Tell me, some one that stole Billion of Naira, wont he afford to pay the 2 million Naira.Our Judges are corrupt, after collecting bride from them.
I think is right time to be sentencing our corrupt leaders to death by hanging or giving them life imprisonment and as this would serve as a deterrent to those who might want to embezzle our money.
