23rd September, 2016
A Jos Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old electrician, Abdulgafar Musa to three months in prison for stealing a Nokia phone valued N11,000.
Musa, of No. 66, Shehu Street, Jos, was charged with theft.
The Magistrate, Mr Jovita Binjin, sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the crime and begged for leniency.
In his plea, the convict said “It was the devil’s hand work; jobs are not coming and I needed money to eat and also give help to my ailing mum.
“I will not do it again, have mercy on me,” he pleaded.
Binjin, however, sentenced the convict to three months imprisonment or pay an option of N3,000 fine.
The Magistrate added that the sentence is to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to engage in similar acts.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Thomas Amuku told the court that one Madina Adamu of the NDLEA, Rikkos, Jos, reported the matter at the A Division police station on Sept. 18.
Amuku said that the defendant went into the complainant’s house and stole her Nokia phone valued at N11, 000.
He said during police investigation the defendant confessed to have sold the said phone to one Abel Augustine of Gada Biyu Street, Jos for N3,000.
The prosecutor added that the offence contravened the provision of Section 287 of the Penal Code.