An Upper Area Court sitting at Kasuwan Nama in Jos, on Friday sentenced a 25-year-old labourer, Yasir Mohammed to two years in prison for stealing.
The judge, Lawal Suleiman, however, gave the convict the option of paying N20, 000 as fine.
He also ordered Mohammed to pay a compensation of N16,000 to the complainant.
Suleiman said that the judgment would serve as deterrent to those who would want to indulge in criminal act of stealing.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that the case was reported on Sept. 6, at the Laranto Police Station by one Stanley Godwin of Farin Gada Jos, who is the complainant.
The prosecutor said that the complainant was walking with money in his pocket when Mohammed tricked him that there was something was on his back and when the complainant turned, the accused snatched the money and ran away.
“When the complainant could not catch up with the accused, he went to the Police station to report and during police investigation it was discovered that the accused had spent part of the money.
“The accused said the remaining money was in his house and was assigned policemen to follow him to recover the money, but he took the policemen to an unknown place and attempted to attack them.”
On arraignment, the accused, a resident of Jenta Mango, pleaded guilty to the offense and begged the court for leniency.
The prosecutor said the offense was contrary to section 271 and punishable under section 272 of Plateau State code law. (NAN)