A Magistrates’ Court in Life Camp, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced a welder, Tasiu Adamu, to six months imprisonment for stealing four cell phones worth N30,000.
Magistrate Chinyere Nwecheonwu, sentenced Adamu, who resides in Jabi village, Abuja, after he pleaded guilty to theft.
Nwecheonwu, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N12,000.
She ordered that the phones recovered from the convict be returned to the complainants.
The convict who was given the opportunity to address the court before sentencing begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Peter Ejike, told the court that Jamilu Usman,a vigilante leader of Dape village, Abuja, reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station on Jan. 29.
Ejike said that the convict broke into shops belonging to Joy Nweke, Adamu Sharo, Faith Gabriel and Ugwu Chidiebere, all of Dape village and stole their phone worth N30,000.
The prosecutor in addition said that during police investigation, the phones were recovered from the convict.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 288 of the Penal Code.(NAN)