25-year-old Man Sentenced To 2 years Imprisonment For Calling Police Thieves

Bala Hassan

A Yola Criminal Area Court 2 has sentenced a man identified as Bala Hassan in Adamawa State to two years imprisonment for allegedly referring to policemen as criminals.

The 25-year-old man on Tuesday was handed the sentence after he was convicted for the offence.

Bala Hassan was earlier brought before the court presided by Hon. Nuhu Garta by the State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Alhaji, for allegedly saying that all police officers attached to the Jimeta Police Division were thieves.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) tendered in court by Inspector Danjuma Hamidu, Bala had said he would rather die than join the Nigeria Police Force because policemen are criminals.

Court papers indicate that Bala was arrested in Yola on Monday during a crime prevention patrol led by Inspector Ishaya Buba of Jimeta Police Division and charged with being in possession of dry leaves suspected to be indian hemp.

The Police said he was unable to give satisfactory account of himself and that when brought to the Divisional headquarters for further investigation, he rained curses on the police, saying all of them are nothing but thieves.

In court on Tuesday, Bala admitted dubbing policemen thieves, following which the prosecutor, Inspector Danjuma Hamidu, applied for summary trial of the defendant.

Ruling, Hon Nuhu Musa Garta sentenced Bala to two years in prison but gave him an option of a N50, 000 fine.