Student to die by hanging for stealing mobile phone & recharge cards

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."