Court discharges man who stole N850 drug to treat wound

A Karmo Area Court in the FCT, on Wednesday discharged a 22-year-old man, Hamisu Haruna, charged with stealing a drug valued at N850.

Haruna who is a resident of Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja, had pleaded guilty and begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

The defendant said, “I will ever steal again; I stole the drug because I had a big wound on my leg and had no money to buy drugs to treat it.

“My lord please forgive me and temper justice with mercy; I don’t know what lured me into this act, I will not do it again,’’ he pleaded.

The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, discharged the defendant but warned him to be of good behaviour.

Sadiq said, “Having heard the plea of Haruna for mercy; the accused is hereby discharged, with a warning to desist from the act.”

The prosecutor, Dalhatu Zannah, had earlier told the court that one Abimyi Henry, a security guard attached to DBM Plaza Wuse II, reported the incident at Utako Police Station on Aug 6, 2017.

According to him, Haruna stole a sachet of Beecham Ampiculux capsule valued N850 from a pharmacy at the plaza around 2 p.m, and was immediately arrested.

Zannah said that the offence contravened Section 287 of the Penal Code.