By Joy Kaka
Abuja – A Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Monday convicted and sentenced a 21-year-old man, Eze Samuel, to four months in prison for stealing two cell phones.
The Judge, Ibrahim Balarabe, however, gave Samuel an option to pay a N20, 000 fine, and warned him to desist from committing crime.
Balarabe also ordered him to return the stolen phones to the complainants, Ibrahim Nurudeen and Sam Okereke, or pay back a total of N126, 000 to them for the phones.
The Prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, had earlier told the court that the complainants reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Station on Jan. 21.
He said that Samuel acted in a dubious manner and stole the complainants’ Infinix phone, valued at N40, 000 and a Samsung Galaxy phone, valued at N86, 000 on Jan. 20.
Olanipekun said the phones were plugged for charging at Samuel’s shop at Arab Road, Kubwa, Abuja.
He said that during investigation, Samuel confessed to the crime and claimed that he sold the phones to someone in Wuse Market.
The prosecutor charged him with theft, an offence contravening Section 287 of the Penal Code.
Samuel, who pleaded guilty, however, had begged for leniency.
