ABUJA, NIGERIA — An Abuja Magistrates’ Court has ordered a businessman, Musa Ibrahim, to perform community service by sweeping the premises of Amir Mosque in Wuse II for one month.
The sentence was handed down by presiding Magistrate Lami Sani after the convict pleaded guilty to charges of criminal trespass, mischief, and theft.
The Ramadan Incident
The Prosecution Counsel, A.A. Adeleju, told the court that Ibrahim executed the theft under the guise of looking for food.
On March 5, Ibrahim blended into a crowd of residents lining up at the mosque to collect free Ramadan meals. While others waited in line, Ibrahim broke from the crowd and slipped inside through a back door. Once inside, he uninstalled and extracted the mosque’s heavy-duty electrical cables, valued at ₦2 million.
The police launched an immediate investigation into the missing utilities. Law enforcement authorities later apprehended Ibrahim, who confessed to the crime during questioning. Police successfully recovered the entirety of the stolen electrical components.
A Plea for Mercy
Before his sentencing, Ibrahim admitted guilt to the court. He begged the bench for leniency, promising never to engage in criminal activities again.
Taking his plea into consideration, Magistrate Lami Sani bypassed a standard prison sentence. Instead, the magistrate ordered that his punishment be carried out directly at the scene of the crime, requiring him to clean the religious facility daily for a full month.
