A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, on Friday, March 13, 2026, sentenced two men to three years’ imprisonment for attempting to steal cables from the Makurdi branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The convicts, Emmanuel Ogwuche and Mohammed Alfa, were prosecuted on charges of criminal conspiracy, mischief, criminal trespass and attempted theft.
Court proceedings showed that the incident occurred on Friday, March 6, 2026, when the two men allegedly cut and damaged intrusion alarm cables installed along the bank’s perimeter fence in an attempt to steal them.
Security operatives attached to the bank reportedly noticed suspicious activity within the premises and raised an alarm.
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Ogwuche was apprehended at the scene, while Alfa initially escaped but was later arrested following police investigations.
During the trial, both defendants admitted to the offences. The damaged cables were valued at about ₦520,000.
Delivering judgment on Friday, March 13, 2026, Chief Magistrate Regina Alashi sentenced the pair to three years in prison.
The court, however, gave the convicts the option of paying a fine of ₦200,000 each instead of serving the custodial sentence.
The magistrate warned that vandalism and attempts to tamper with critical national infrastructure would attract stiff penalties.