On 19th November, 2023, Mohammed Maazu Gariba, a third-year student at Saviour Senior High School-Oseim in the Eastern Region was arrested by the Koforidua Circuit Court for stealing electrical wires worth Ghc 59,000.00.
According to the prosecutor, the accused had targeted a newly constructed two-story building, and resorted to stripping off all the electrical wiring and burning them to extract the copper from it. Then, in an attempt to conceal the evidence, he had tried to hide the stolen goods in a nearby bush.
Gariba, a high-school student, was recently handed a 14-year sentence by the Koforidua Circuit Court. The cause of this severe punishment was his attempt to steal copper wires, which in itself is part of a recurrent criminal activity which he had already been convicted for in 2020. That time, Akyem Tafo Magistrate Court had dealt with him by sentencing him to 23-months in jail.
Gariba's ill-fated attempt to steal the copper wires enabled vigilant individuals to recognize him and deliver him to the police. Following the earlier conviction, the Koforidua Circuit Court.
In a related incident, Kelvin Bonzy, alias Paa Kwasi, was a 19-year-old Science student in his final year of Ofori Panin Senior High School. On the 12th of July, 2023, his life came to a tragic end in Koforidua. He was accused of attempting to commit robbery, for which he was already facing charges at the Koforidua circuit court.
Paa Kwasi had apparently robbed a fellow student as well as a teacher, earning himself an indefinite suspension from school. Nevertheless, the court granted him bail to sit for the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
“The impacts of stealing could have profound consequences on the life of not only the person who commits the crime but also on their family and the community. It is very important that we analyze the factor that leads to kids stealing and then try to find a way to prevent it in the future. Jailing a kid for stealing as a solving mechanism would not be conducive and could potentially cause more harm to the child. Counseling is an effective approach to help the perpetrator make progress in understanding and addressing the root cause of the crime.” Reactions.
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