Punishment for Theft is given in this article. This will guide those who think stealing is just a minor offense to refrain from such a habit.

Punishment for Stealing in Nigeria

Punishment for Theft

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There are certain things folks do and think do not really matter. One such thing is stealing, the act or practice of taking another person’s property illegally or without the owner’s permission.

Usually, when things are stolen, there is no intention to return the stolen item or items. Even before our modern civilization, stealing has been in practice.

Ancient civilizations had ways of punishing thieves. Such methods include parading the alleged thief naked in public and caning the thief in the village square, to mention but a few.

In modern times, a barbaric method of punishing theft has found its way into our society. This is tagged jungle justice, a case where alleged thieves are beaten up, stripped naked, and set ablaze.

This is probably because some folks do not know that the Nigerian constitution has made provisions for the punishment of the crime of theft. Read on to discover the penalty for stealing in Nigeria.

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Punishment for stealing in Nigeria

The Nigerian constitution of 1999 (as amended) makes provision for the protection of property with solid proof of ownership.

Hence any individual or group of individuals who takes your property without due authorization or intent to return it is bound to be penalized by law.

So, relax, you are covered. For starters, the Criminal Code Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria defines stealing to mean fraudulently taking anything capable of being stolen or converting to a personal use a property belonging to another person with the intent to permanently deny its owner of it.

A person is not called a thief unless he or she moves a thing or causes the thing to move. The dishonest abstraction, diversion, or consumption of electricity without payment is also labeled as stealing in Nigeria.

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A person guilty of theft in Nigeria is described by law as a felon. There are two sets of legislation for the punishment for stealing in Nigeria.

While the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria stipulates a prison term of at least three years if there is no other penalty, the Penal Code Act stipulates a five-year jail term or fine, or both.

Note, however, that these are not the highest form of punishment for stealing in Nigeria. Depending on the gravity of the crime or the damage resulting from the theft, the penalty can be increased to a stiffer punishment.

If the theft is carried out with arms and weapons, this transforms it into armed robbery and the penalty is definitely higher, like say, a death sentence.

Also, stealing financial property is tried under different legislation such as Advanced Fee Fraud, Economic and Financial Crimes Act, Money Laundering Prohibition Act, and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

These acts have diverse punishments stipulated for such crimes that come under their jurisdiction.

Read Also: Punishment for Bribery in Nigeria

In conclusion, it is necessary to be well informed about the punishment for stealing in Nigeria. This is very necessary when one considers the rising cases of jungle justice.

It is not proper for a victim to take laws into his or her hands. Take the alleged offender to court and obtain legal justice as stipulated by the law of the country.