A 21-year-old bus
conductor, Shedrach Ezekiel of Mararaba, Abuja, was on Tuesday sentenced to 18
months in prison by a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court for stealing a phone valued
at N11,000.
The presiding judge,
Albert Maga, convicted Ezekiel after he pleaded guilty for the offence of
conspiracy and theft.
The convict, who pleaded
for leniency, said, “I don’t have anybody here, I came to this town to look for
job but it has not been easy for me.”
Maga said the accused had
not been able to give tangible reasons to the court on why he should not be
punished for the offence.
He said the sentence
would serve as deterrent to other offenders of like minds.
“However, the prosecutor
was unable to prove the charge of conspiracy as the other suspect was still at
large.
“The court hereby
discharge the accused on the charge of conspiracy and sentence him to 18 months
imprisonment for the offence of theft,” Maga said.
The judge, however, gave
the convict an option of N4,000 fine and also ordered him to pay the
complainant N11,000 as compensation for the stolen phone.
Earlier the prosecutor,
Cpl. Friday Adaji, told the court that the convict was first arraigned on
August 14 but remanded in custody for his accomplice to be arrested.
Adaji said Ezekiel stole
a Nokia phone valued at N11,000 from the bag of one Luka Ruth at Brother Plaza,
Mararaba.
He said when the convict
was caught in the act, he threw the phone to his accomplice, who is now at
large.
The prosecutor said the
convict contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 287 of the Penal Code.
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