An Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama in Jos on Tuesday sentenced two labourers to four years each imprisonment for stealing a cell phone.
The police charged Usman Abdullahi,20, and Suleiman Yahaya,22, with conspiracy and theft.
The Judge, Lawal Suleiman sentenced Usman and Yahaya after they pleaded guilty to the offence.
Suleiman, however, gave the convicts option to pay N40, 000 each or to spend two years in prison for theft, N10, 000 each or a year for conspiracy and N15, 000 each as compensation or another one year in prison.
He said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to those who would want to indulge in such criminal act of stealing.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that the case was reported at the Laranto Police station on July 5 by one Phoebe Zakka of Farin Gada Jos, who was the complainant.
Gokwat said that the convicts conspired and attacked the complainant on her way to the bank and collected her phones valued at N35, 500.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 57 and 272 of the Penal Code of Plateau.
