NAN-H-47
Jail
By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja, Jan.18, 2017 (NAN) A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced a 27-year-old security guard, Joseph Ayuba, to one month imprisonment over negligence.
Ayuba, who resides at FHA Lugbe, Airport road, Abuja, was convicted after he pleaded guilty to one-count charge of negligent conduct.
The presiding officer, Mr Garba Ogbede, however, gave Ayuba an option to pay N10,000 as fine.
Ogbede said the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the pains of protracted prosecution.
He warned the convict to take his job seriously and ordered him to return the 25 MTN max batteries to the complainant as compensation.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Miss Vivian Oporomo told the court that Agim John, a security supervisor, reported the matter at the Lugbe Police Station.
Oporomo informed the court that the defendant was employed to work as security guard and to secure the MTN max property at FHA Lugbe, Airport road, Abuja.
She said the defendant was not at his duty post when the batteries were stolen, noting that “he neglected his duty post, thereby paving way for thieves to have access to the property.”
The prosecutor said 25 MTN max batteries valued at N1.250 million were stolen from the max station.
She added that the defendant could not give satisfactory account of the missing batteries during investigation, an offence which contravened Section 196 of the Penal Code Law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant urged the court for leniency, saying “I am pleading with the court and the company to have mercy on me.
“ I have wife and children to take care of, my lord I do not have anyone to help me. Forgive me sir because of God and my little children.” (NAN)
UGO/EOB/HA
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Edited by Edith Bolokor/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu