A dismissed inspector of the Niger State Police Command, Yahaya Mohammed, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for theft and sale of Ak 47 magazine and ammunition to suspected armed bandits in the state.

The suspect, who was said to be the second in command in charge of the armoury department at the state command headquarters, was alleged to have conspired with Ndaman Gana, an officer in the department, to carry out the act.

Mr Mohammed is facing two counts of charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, theft and unlawful dealing in the sale of Ak47 magazine and ammunition.

The Police First Information Report (FIR) said credible information from a reliable source at the State Security Service (SSS) revealed that an unknown person transported goods, suspected to be arms in a ‘Ghana must go bag’. It said detectives swung into action and arrested Mr Mohammed. 

It added, “During police Investigation, you ex-police inspector conspired with Ndaman Gana officer-in-charge of state armoury attached to the department of Operation OPs, Minna, and both of you stole 22 magazines and 61 life ammunitions of different calibre property of the Niger State Police Command.

“Both of you sold each magazine at the rate of N1,000; each ammunition was sold at the rate of N650 to one corporal Sani Mohammed, formerly attached to Mopol 12 Minna.”

The suspect pleaded guilty to the charge read to him by the presiding chief magistrate, Fati Umar Hassan.

The prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, asked the court to invoke the provision of section 190 of the administration of the Criminal Justice Law of Niger State by convicting him summarily.

He also informed the court that the convict was diagnosed with cough hemoptysis and that the medical report is attached to the First Information Report.

“Your worship, the disease in question is contagious, and I pray the court will take cognisance of the medical report to see how the convict would not join other inmates in order not to infect them with the disease as it is a communicable disease. That is my humble prayer,” the prosecutor said. 

The chief magistrate, in her judgement, expressed disappointment with the convict’s conduct, especially as a police officer saddled with the responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of the citizens.

“If not because of the disease, I would have convicted you without an option of fine, but for other inmates not to be infected with the disease, you are hereby sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine,“ she ruled.

She ordered that the convict be transferred to the Chanchaga Leprosarium Colony to serve his jail term if he failed to pay the fine.