Teenager imprisoned for stealing fowl in Niger

A magistrate court in Minna has sentenced Yakubu Dahiru, a teenager, to three months in prison for stealing a fowl.

Sentencing the teenager, Binta Rijau, the magistrate, however said she would be lenient on the accused person as he was remorseful.

Rijau ordered him to pay a fine of N3000 or serve three months in prison in the event of a default.

Dahiru had been charged with a joint act, house breaking and theft, to which he pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.

Thomas Peter, the prosecutor, had told the court that two men, Yusuf Mohammed and Christopher Yahaya reported the matter at the police station on May 2.

Peter quoted the complainants as alleging that the accused person and two others, now at large, broke into their compound and stole a fowl valued at N2000.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 79, 347 and 288 of the Penal Code and asked the court to try the accused summarily in line with Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code.