A Lugbe Grade I Area Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a 23-year-old guard, Peter Elisha, to 16 months imprisonment for stealing three bicycles worth N1.9 million.

Mr Elisha pleaded guilty to two counts of joint act and theft.

The convict had begged the court for leniency.

The judge, Aliyu Kagarko, gave the convict an option of N60,000 fine.

Mr Kagarko also ordered the convict to pay compensation of N1.5 million to the owner

The judge warned the convict to be a good citizen and desist from committing crimes.

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

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Stanley Nwaforaku, told the court that the complainant, Mohammed Aliyu of Durumi Abuja reported the matter at the Durumi Police Station on December 23.

Mr Nwaforaku said that  on December 17 at about 6a.m  the convict  stole three bicycles valued at N 1.9 million belonging  to one Mr Jonah Izuka, who lives on 316 Francis Okoro Street in Durumi, Abuja.

The prosecutor said that during a police investigation, the convict confessed and one of the said bicycles worth 400,000 was recovered from one of his friends, Ali Hassan.

He added that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)