Man Sentenced To 20 Months Jail Term For Phone Theft

A 19-year-old man, Gambo  Ishaq  has been sentenced to 20-months imprisonment by a Gwagwalada Chief Magistrates’ Court, for snatching two cell phones, valued at N565,000

The police charged Ishaq and Auwal Usman 20, both residents of Gwagwalada, with criminal conspiracy, mischief, intimidation and extortion.

Ishaq pleaded guilty while Usman pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Chief Magistrate Munir Sani convicted and sentenced Ishaq after he begged the court for leniency.

Sani sentenced Ishaq to five months imprisonment for each offence with hard labour and without an option of a fine.

He also granted the application made by the Prosecution Counsel, Abdullahi Tanko, for the payment of N565,000 compensation to the nominal complainant.

The chief magistrate, however, admitted Usman (second defendant) to bail in the some of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

Sani ordered that the sureties must provide their statement of accounts and means of identification and if the bail conditions were not met the defendant should be remanded in prison custody.

He adjourned the case until March 29 for a hearing.

Earlier, Tanko had told the court that the complainants Olayanju Ayomide and Uchechi

Ayomikun of Phase 111, Gwagwalada Abuja reported the matter at Gawgwalada police station on February 8.

He said that the complainants informed the police that the convict, defendant and one Sagir Mohammed now at large threatened them with a knife at Phase 111 junction.

He said that the convict, defendant and Mohammed dropped from a motorcycle and snatched the complainant’s iPhone valued at N250,000 and one Samsung nine cell phone valued at N315,000.

The prosecutor said that after dispossessing their victims of their valuables, the trio jumped back on the motorcycle to escape, but the convict was caught with the iPhone which was already damaged.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provision of Sections 97, 327, 397 and 292 of the Penal Code.

According to Section 327 Whoever commits mischief shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with a fine or with both.

While Section 292 states that whoever commits extortion shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with a fine or with both.

Tanko in an oral application prayed the court to award a compensation of N565,000 to the nominal complainants being valued for the said cell phones.