Someone needs to find out why a fellow called Danbauchi
John cannot resist stealing television sets … and getting caught each time he does it!
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the first
time that John appeared before a Gudu District Area Court for lifting a TV set
from a shop, he was discharged by the presiding judge, Mr. Adamu Wakili, for
want of evidence.
Apparently emboldened by his acquittal, he promptly went
out and broke into another goods store to steal a Sony 14” TV set, valued at N
21,000.
He was not only caught but also charged to the same court
for criminal trespass and theft.
Judge Adamu was scandalized.
``You were just discharged from this court less than a month ago for a similar
offence for want of evidence but now you are being charged for two offences,”
he said in disbelief.
This is where the story gets interesting. Although the TV
set was worth N21,000, Danbauchi was sentenced to one-year imprisonment, with
an option to pay N4,000 fine and go home.
This is the trouble with criminal prosecution. The State
takes over the case and decides appropriate punishment for the culpable. If the
owner of the store did not recover his TV set, he has lost everything except
the satisfaction of knowing that a thief will have a criminal record to his
name: The N4,000 fine which Danbauchi is sure to pay goes to the state.
Lesson learned: if you want the courts to return your
stolen property or get monetary compensation, find a way of turning the
matter between you and the thief into a civil case.
