Security guard bags 5 months jail term for negligence
NAN-H-24
Jail
By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja, Jan. 9, 2018 (NAN) A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday sentenced a 33-year-old security guard, Bent Kantapwa, to five months imprisonment for negligence conduct.
Kantapwa, who resides at No. 9, Ali Baba Crescent, Jabi, Abuja, was convicted after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of negligent conduct.
The Judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave Kantapwa an option to pay N20,000 fine.
Sadiq said the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the pains of protracted prosecution, by pleading guilty.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs Florence Auhioboh, had told the court that One Shehu Murtala of Flat 5, Block D, Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting Quarters, Garki, Abuja, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station.
Auhioboh informed the court that the convict was employed to work as a security guard and to secure the MTN mast at No. 9 Ali Baba Crescent, Jabi, Abuja.
She said the convict was not at his duty post when the batteries were stolen, noting that “he deliberately neglected his duty post, thereby paving way for thieves to have access to the property.”
The prosecutor said four MTN mast back-up batteries, were stolen from the said mast station.
She added that during police investigation, the convict confessed to the crime, but could not give satisfactory account of the missing batteries, an offence which contravened Section 196 of the Penal Code Law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict appealed to the court for leniency, saying “I am pleading with the court and the company to have mercy on me. (NAN)
UGO/KOLE/OU
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Edited by Remi Koleoso/Obike Ukoh
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