Student convicted for stealing Recharge Cards (to die by hanging)

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.”