A Kado Grade I Area Court in Abuja has sentenced a 24-year-old unemployed man, Jimoh Shehu to 12 months imprisonment for conniving to steal a mobile phone worth N110, 000.

Delivering judgment, the Area Court Judge, Malam Mohammed Wakili held that the court sentenced the suspect based on his confession to the crime.

”The court having found Shehu guilty of the offence and taking into consideration his plea for mercy, you are hereby sentenced to 12 months imprisonment without an option of fine,”the judge said.

Wakili also ordered the convict to pay the sum of N130, 000 as compensation to the complainant as requested by the prosecutor and warned him to desist from such fraudulent behavior and be a good citizen.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Stanley Nwafoaku told the court that the convict, Shehu of Mabushi village, Abuja was arraigned on two counts of joint act and theft.

Nwafoaku said that Mr NnaEmeka Okoh of Kubwa Abuja, reported the matter at Utako police station on Aug.30, at about 8:00 p.m.

He said that on the convict and two others now at large approached the complainant and sought for monetary assistance to buy food .

The Prosecution Counsel said that, Mr Okoh gave the defendant and his accomplice N1,000 each to buy food and they immediately formed criminal intention, caused a distraction around him and stole his phone.

Nwafoaku said while the complainant was searching for his missing phone, the defendant approached him and said he knew who took the phone, and demanded N25, 000 for the release.

He said, Mr Okoh trusted Shehu and gave him N27, 000 to give the person N25, 000, however, the defendant returned with the sim card and claimed the person absconded with the phone.

He said the complainant suspected a fowl play and the defendant was apprehend by the police, saying he admitted to the crime, however all efforts made to recover the phone proved abortive.

He further stated that the offence contravene the provision of sections 79 and 288 of the penal code law.
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