A 22-year-old labourer, Ibrahim Abdullahi, was on Monday sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by the Abuja Grade I Area Court in Dei-Dei, for injuring a five-year-old.

Mr Abdullahi, who appeared before the court, pleaded guilty to the charge and begged for leniency.

The judge, Sulyman Ola, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N30,000 and warned him to be law-abiding.

Mr Ola said the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court from the rigours of protracted prosecution.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Olaonipekun Babajide, told the court that the complainant, Badamasi Adamu, who lives in Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja reported the matter to the Galadima police station on February 11.

Mr Babajide explained that the convict opened the complainant’s car and grabbed his five-year-old son, who was sleeping inside it.

He said the convict dragged the complainant’s son with force, and he sustained severe injuries on his face.

Mr Babajide told the court that the complainant’s child was rushed to Gwarinpa General Hospital for treatment.

He said during police interrogation and investigation, the convict confessed to the crime.

The offence, the prosecutor said, contravened section 240 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)