Widower gets 9 months imprisonment for stealing 100 yam tubers

A Magistrates’ Court in Makurdi on Thursday sentenced a widower, Igba Msughter to nine months imprisonment for stealing 100 tubers of yam worth N80,000 and crates of assorted drinks.

Msughter, who lives in Gboko, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, theft. and pleaded for leniency.

Magistrate Ajuma Igama, after listening to the plea, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N6,000.

Earlier, Msughter said he was a widower, who has parents who are blind and his only son would have no parent to guide him if he is incarcerated.

The prosecution counsel, Sgt Ato Godwin, prayed the court to give the convict the appropriate punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.

Godwin said that the convict was arrested and brought to ‘E’ Division Police station Makurdi on June 9, 2021.

He said the convict also stole one generator, two stabilizers, a gas cylinder, four aluminum pots and e electrical cables.

During police investigation, he said, the convict confessed to the crime.