Surajo Sherif, a 21-year-old carpenter, was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Grade I Area Court in Dei-Dei, Shagari quarters, Abuja, on Monday for stealing a cell phone.
The sheriff admitted to stealing and prayed for mercy.
Judge Sulyman Ola, on the other hand, granted the convict the option of paying a fine of N30,000 and admonished him not to commit crime again.
The Prosecution Counsel, Chinedu Ogada, had previously informed the court that the complainant, Abel Onuche, ‘M’ of Zuma 2 Bwari, Abuja, had reported the case to the Dutse Alhaji Police on January 31.
On the same date, at approximately 6:29 p.m., while the complainant was strolling along the first gate at Dutse market, the convict criminally took his cell phone, according to Ogada.
futhermore, he said that the criminal cleverly withdrew the complainant’s Tecno Pop IV cell phone worth N 40,000 from his pocket, but was caught in the act and handed over to the police.
He stated that the inmate confessed to the crime during police interrogation and inquiry, and that the phone was seized from him.
According to the prosecution, the offense was in violation of section 288 of the Penal Code.