Yola Chief Magistrate Court I has convicted and sentenced a security guard, Dauda Charles along side 4 others to 8, 14 and 16 years in prison each for the theft of 66 air conditioners.
The air conditioners valued N15.180million belong to Yola international hotel owned by Adamawa state government which were carted away by the convicts.
Likewise, the court has discharged and acquitted a woman, Hadiza Usman and 2 others after they were tried along side the convicts and found to have not committed the offences for which they were charged.
But for Dauda Charles, the security guard of the hotel, chief magistrate Abdullahi Mohammed Digil, sentenced him to 7 years in prison for the offence of theft or pay an alternative fine of 100, 000, and also sentenced him to 1 year in prison without option of fine for criminal conspiracy.
Another convict, Husseini Mohammed, was jailed 1 year without option of fine for conspiracy and 15 years behind bars with N200, 000, option of fine for theft under section 279 of penal code law.
Mohammed Mu'azu, one of the convict was also slammed 14 years prison term for the offence of receiving stolen property or pay N100, 000 option of fine.
On his part, Husseini Adamu, bagged 14 years jail term or alternatively pay the sum of N200, for the offence of abatement under section 49 of penal code law, while Bashiru Suleiman, was jailed 14 years or pay N200, 000 fine.
Also, the court has ordered Dauda Charles, Husseini Mohammed and Bashiru Suleimam, 1st, 2nd and 7th convicts to pay the whooping sum of N13.520 million value of the 60 air conditioners belonging Yola international hotel.
For Hadiza Usman, the court has discharged and acquitted her on grounds that the 2 air conditioners found in her possession and recovered were only given to her by Bashiru Suleiman, to keep without the knowledge of being carted away.
Equally, the court has discharged and acquitted Danlami Hamidu, a commercial tricycle operator, based on the evidence of the prosecution witness that he was only contracted to convey some of the items unknown to him that they were stolen.
The court has also discharged and acquitted Alhaji Yahaya Aliyu, but ordered him to return 2 sets of air conditioners he bought from Husseini Mohammed, or pay N460, 000 its value.
It was established during trial that the 2nd convict, Husseini, sold 2 sets of air conditioners to Alhaji Yahaya, where he issued him with receipts after Yahaya insisted that he must see the receipts of the items before buying it.
The receipts were tendered and admitted in evidence in court; hence, the discharge and acquittal of Alhaji Yahaya Aliyu.
It was the state police command represented by Inspector Zakka Musa, who arraigned the 5 convicts and 3 others discharged following a complaint by Solomon Garwva, a staff of the ministry of culture and tourism attached to the hotel on the 12th December, 2021.
Solomon, reported that the hotel security guard, Dauda Charles, conspired with Husseini Mohammed and stole 66 air conditioners belonging to hotel and sold same to Alhaji Yahaya, Mohammed Mu'azu and several others now at large.
They were all arrested and arraigned on the 31st January, 2022 for alleged criminal conspiracy, theft by servant, abatement and receiving of stolen property contrary to sections 60, 280 and 47 of penal code law.
NEWS PLATFORM learnt that it all began last year when Husseini Mohammed who met Charles and saw the air conditioners at the hotel, advised him to sell some of the items to enable him raise money and prepare for his christmas.
Initially, Dauda who proved to be a reliable security personnel was said to have refused to buy the idea, and that he was later offered the sum of N18, 500 but also refused to collect it.
It was gathered that the security guard who appeared to be morally strong enough not to be persuaded to do something wrong, could not withstand the temptation when he was offered the sum of N205, 000, so as to allow access to the items.
The security guard who was shocked to have gotten such amount of money, did not only allow easy access to the store but opened the entire doors to the thieves who had their field day and stole the items at will up to 66 items.
Hmm Adamawa state more wuna change woo
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