A Kaduna Magistrates’ Court has handed a 38-year-old unemployed man, Gidado Hamza, a punishment of 100 hours of community service after finding him guilty of stealing a goat worth N50,000.
Hamza was arraigned on a single-count charge of theft by the police and admitted to the offence when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel imposed the community service sentence without offering an option of a fine, stating that the decision was meant to discourage similar offences in the community.
The magistrate also cautioned the convict to steer clear of criminal activity and maintain good conduct, stressing that future leniency would not be guaranteed.
During the hearing, the prosecution, led by Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the incident occurred on April 30 in the Kawo area. He explained that the goat, owned by Musa Ahmed and kept in Rigasa, was discovered in the possession of the defendant, who was allegedly attempting to slaughter it inside an unfinished building before he was apprehended and handed over to the police along with the animal.
The matter was prosecuted under the provisions of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017.