A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, sentenced two labourers to 6 months imprisonment each for stealing cell phone.
Isah Abdullahi, 25 and Abdala Lawal, 19, who live in Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna State, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft, but begged the Judge for mercy.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel, however gave each of them an option to pay a fine of N13, 000.
Emmanuel said the punishment would serve as a lesson to anybody who would in the future, indulge in such act.
He also ordered the convicts to collectively pay compensation of N40, 000 to the nominal complainant and N20, 000 as expenses incurred during the prosecution of the case.
Ishaku ordered that the money should be paid within two weeks and held that in default of payment, the convicts would spend additional one year in prison.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Chidi Leo told the court that the convicts committed the offence on July 20, at Ungwan Rimi Kaduna.
Leo said that the complainant, Farouq Sabo, who is also a neighbour of the convicts, reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.
He said that at about 10 a.m., the convicts entered the complainant’s room when he stepped out to buy some food stuff and stole his phone worth N60,000 .
The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 59 and 271 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
