Nigerian Secondary School Student To Die By Hanging For Stealing Phone And Recharge Cards

By
Tolu
-

According to a report by Thisday, a High Court in Effurun, Delta State, has sentenced a 24-year-old secondary school student, Moses Akatugba, to death by hanging for stealing mobile phones and  recharge cards. Read the report below and tell us if you think the sentence is appropriate or too harsh
“Akatugba was convicted on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery in contravention of Section 6 (b) and punishable under section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms  (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 Volume 14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The prosecution told the court that the convict with others now at large “robbed one Mrs. Akpor Mazino of the sum of N113,930, three phone handsets, 54 various denominations of MTN recharge vouchers, 28 Airtel vouchers and 25 Glo vouchers valued at over N100,000 at No. 30 NNPC Housing Complex Road,
 Ekpan.”
The victim in her evidence gave a vivid account of how she was robbed of the items at her shop at gunpoint.
An Asaba High Court also yesterday sentenced a 30-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Paul Nwanegbo to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbing a female passenger of her telephone handset. The incident, according to prosecution took place along Direct Labour Agency Road, Asaba, on October 5, 2011 before the ban on operation of commercial motorcyclists in Asaba metropolis and other designated cities.
The female passenger, Amaka Okafor told the court that on “realising the gun was a toy, I resisted him but he overpowered me after biting me with his teeth and snatched my phone from me.”

 

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60 COMMENTS

  7. Dat waz 2 harsh no mata wat he deed, He shuld ve been imprisoned 4 yrs & nt a death sentence. If i may ask, hw many of our so-called past & present leaders ve been killed or send to death by hanging 4 embezzling d nation’s fund? Let ε̲̣̣̣̥ tell you all those who ave hand in his death God will ask you.

  10. We fanatic y r we so anxious in punshing a petty crimal yes he handle a gun which compounded the issues but what of those that their weapon r pen, its indeed a pathetic case, the poor r bin sentenced for little or no crime while the rich criminals r not sentenced or trialed rather they r in their homes lavshing on our money (GIMICS) this is a thieft of thousand have u handled all the cases of billion, trillion nd Millions that have been stolen in recent time the Law is an ASS.

  11. If all these judges will receive the consequence and rewards of their controversial judgement via their children and in their future, they will be careful in making right decisions. They love to be light to and favour nigerian politicians who steal millions, billions of naira cause accident on the roads via their convoys and represent corrupt politicians but they are eager lay their hands and sentence common criminals
    to oblivion. Favoritism in the nigerian judiciary should be addressed and corrected.
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  12. such verdicts reveal the unreliability in our justice system.many officiers syphoned and squandered publc fund without been repprimanded or call for accountability nor convicted for such gross offence.Here are little boys who committed errors due to deprivement from govenment who suppose to cater for their welfare.The judge should ask them how they sponsor themselves in school and who meet their immediate needs to them.It is an absurd case if life is not taken

  13. Hey!!! Dis guy must not be killed oo….for weytin? We all aint saint and if we all have to be treated this way, I am sure we will have no leader in Naija. Killing just cuz of what? Madueke has a private jet, her son too. Oduah’s case……nothing will happen to all dis people and killing a boy cuz of robbery will bring justice to Naija abi? Na wa o. He must nt be killed. Posterity will judge.

  14. Though i feel that d court should hav temperd justice with mercy, 4rm d provisions of d Robbery nd Fire Arms Special Act, d law was rightly spelt out. Sec.10 subsec.2 states: where d accused persons r armed or dey r found in company of people dat r armed or whether dey hav wounded sumbody, d punishment is death sentence by hangin. Now 4rm d circumstances of d case, nd d wordings of d Act, even an ordinary man in d streets would say dat justice was rightly spelt out

  15. Are u kidding me? For a few mobile phones and some recharge cards? And yet they go about complaining that shariah is barbaric. How come they dont go after the rich who embezzled billions? But there they are sentencing a poor student who is probably struggling to make ends meet and pay his school fees. Not saying what he did was good but for crying out loud, thats way too extreme for a minor crime like that. Honestly they go about punishing the poor making them poorer and allow the rich to go scot free making them richer. The legal system in this country sucks.

  16. To me, this is totally out of senses for applying karma’s law on criminals issue… If karma’s law should be applied, then why haven’t i heard the death of some of the so called leaders? That judgement is wrong! And you guys are not improving at all

  19. They said allow fingers are not equally made but may God not deny me fingers atall. This guy is been hanged because he has no strong hand of rescue. I will like to ask the judges, if any of their children do the same will they be hanged. 2ndly how many of those highly made criminals grouped by most of nigerian multi millionaires and great politicians in the secret of kidnapping and killing . Some times robbing and highway killings have u hanged does it meen that all respective agents are blind to those ones and open to the less privilege. When a small cat want to show power, the little rats around suffers attack. I don’t care what any of u would say. But please live corruption alone u are the ones holding it.

  21. Its really tru “law is a web dat has been designed 4 d downtrodden.”its obvious dis country can progress except we get rid of ALL discipline-lacked fellow in d various part systems. D judiciary has been corrupted, d police, ummm!, d executive, u’ll need panadol, & d legislature pls don’t ask me. Let ack now.

  23. Thunder fire that Judge n em judgement 4 there. In fact, d judge shd b executed first b4 d boy is hanged. Why has he not hanged Dimeji, Otedola, Gov. Lamido n his 2 sons, Odua, Farouk etc etc? Idiots. Na poor man body them dey sabi practise them law. We know ur type, bc d boy no see money take bribe u naim u wan hang am. Yeye de smell.

  24. Dat is 2 harzh,temper justice wit mercy,u judges are a shame to us,jst ordinary 113,000 naira and u send him death by hanging.can u do dat 2 dose directin us,dey even embezzle more than dat,billions of billions yet u will still beg dem to plz release d sum of rubbish is dat justice,we all knw wat d guy do is totally wrong,bt dat judgement is to harsh,wat of our senators,presidents,representatives,and other dey do more dan dat.cnt blame u bcoz d post u r holdin,dey r d one dat help u 2 get deir.FOOLISH JUSTICE,MAD JUDGES AND LAWYERS

  25. Death punishment z dam 2much,d pple harvestn dis laws on citizen ve commited millions of crime worst.they did wrong, YES.bt kill a human,wen u cant creat a single human hair? C’mon it unfair n evil,Pls giv dem punishment not death.

  28. I weep for this country! Where are we heading to? What crime has the poor committed to be hated and treated with so much cruelty? God I sincerely pray from my heart that you help and fight for the poor in Nigeria.

  29. Please mr.judge put d boys judgement in ur shoe.if u ar his parent how would u hav feel.if u ar d boy what would u think.for God sake judge what people wl hear and coment Nigeria judiciary.or d u hav person concern on dat matter?because d punishment on such crime does nt merit death,as long as he did nt claim someones life.u can sentence him to 5 or 10 yrs imprison where he can be resocialized by d agency.as for d poor parents i wl advice dem 2 borrow and get a lawyer 2 write appeal.

  30. Please mr.judge put d boy’s judgement in ur shoe.if u were his parent how would u hav feel.if u ar d boy what would u think.for God sake judge what people wl hear and coment Nigeria judiciary.or d u hav personal concern on dat matter?because d punishment on such crime does nt merit death,as long as he did nt claim someones life.u can sentence him to 5 or 10 yrs imprison where he can be resocialized by d necessary agents.as for d poor parents i wl advice dem 2 borrow and get a lawyer 2 write appeal.

  31. am nt surprise now, naija tins; d woman that pack #255 million to purchase bulletproof car never near court sef, d government is a fearful master& dangerous servant…..am sorri 4 d judge, by d time my God strike, is family will be crushed no doubt. d measure of judgement is too high nawao.

  34. That is why we are not rest in this country,our law is only for the poor people,but why?am .very sure dat d judge have question to answer in presence of God,except if he is not in dis nigeria,where our leader doing what dey like & no judge is there to put law on them.use this world as u like,is in your control but one day we shall all return to him(God )

  36. Pathetic & Worthless Judge/Sentence. That is because his father is not a Governor nor Senator nor President. Or even one of those powerful civilians & politicians in the country. All these Men together with their useless Sons commits more atrocities than this one yet they do go scot free & are even being protected by our so called Police is your Friend. This Country is seriously SICK

  41. its too harsh in that there is no loss of life. Though its the law, but then on humanitarian grounds they could have shown mercy on him. Am sure on appeal the judgement can be reviewed to a lesser punishment!

  42. Sentencing him 2death dos it mk any difference 2 d victim? Wen we ve pple buying pullet proof cars worth millions, we ve dem stealing n embezlling our nation treasury n dey re getting bail or six month sentence even plea bargain, God will help us

  43. Though the verdict seem too harsh the Judge should not be castigated for applying the Law, and we must also bear it mind that considering the age of the accused and the mode of the robbery operation as no life was lost, it must have been a tough decision for the Presiding Judge to take considering what the Laws stipulate in the criminal code.
    Well the decision had been taken all that’s left for the accused now is the option of appeal.

  44. D judgement is too harsh.for him to stil be in secondary schl @ dis age,there must av bn a problem somehow/somewher….pls whoever that posted this matter shld pls consult d boy’s family to appeal ( & to pray along).& i know dt God will show/give him mercy In jesus name….

  45. This is injustice. In Nigeria, there is justice for the rich and justice for the poor. Ibori that stole billions in the same state wasn’t sentenced to death while someone that was forced to crime indirectly due to insincerity and unseriousness on d part of govt, harsh economic policy of govt and unven distribution of public wealth among others, was served no prerogative of mercy. “The society creates d crime but d criminal executes it” comrade Bembijay…. Gen sec APC Youth Frontier, Oyo state

  48. How I wish The judge will be opportune to read what Nigerian are saying here,we know that law can temper justice with mercy, let him go to prison and make his ways and live right., remember militant,boko haram, and armed robbers had been arrested with different kind of weapon and kill tens and hundred of people, but are later release or imprisonment. Why is this young boy own different? Why must he die a painful death, luk at d boko haram member dat bomb deeper life church killing plenty people since 2012, the are still adjoining his case,moving about smiling with a rubber of swine water, let’s move close to God my people

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  50. I am writing this comment with tears in my eyes. Not in pity of the poor boy been sentenced to death, but in pity of how man has allowed his conscience to be killed. Will killing this boy actually stop ppl frm stealing? No one is in support of what this man does, but i am fully aware that even the only just judge gives all men chances to repent frm their wrong. I would plead with the court, to pls tamper justice with mercy. We need leaders that have the hearts for the ppl.

  54. When GOD says “do not judge” he means that “judging” is a sin!
    It is a pity that this young man will lose his life to cold ‘death’ for just stealing items whose worth is even nowhere near #500k! Moreover, the report did show that it wasn’t an armed robbery!! Let me go straight to the point, how many billions of naira are stolen on daily basis in this country by politicians? Nobody ever thought of prosecuting the thieves-politician only to hear a lousy court sentence a young man to death for stealing who might had been compelled by the harsh economic situation created by the above-the-law-thieves in government houses!

  55. How was the Guy arrested? that is my question. Do u know d stupid part of this case,they might find d fun with d Guy and all they are gonna say is that he is one of the gang. What of his gang members? no Where to be found I think So. I know of a Guy in Ibadan here who bought a phone from a person he thought he knows well without knowing that the phone was stolen, believe me, the judge declare him guilty of stealing and that could b d case of this Guy,
    WAIT!!! EVEN IF HE STOLE IT, DOES THAT MEAN HANGING HIM?
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  57. God Is D Great Judge O & Lets Do Evrytin Wit God’s Fear & D Judges Shd Alwaz Tink Of 2mro & Dr Children B4 Taken Any Action.Dis Simply Shows Dat D Poor Are In Trouble In Dis Country….Hummm,may God Av Mercy On Us O,remenba God’s Judgement Is Greater Dan Urs.