The Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court sentenced a 28-year-old Tiler, Ojo Yusuf, to 24 months in the correction centre for stealing an electric cable valued at N 1.5 million.

Mr Yusuf was sentenced on a three-count charge of criminal trespass, mischief and theft.

The judge, Aliyu Kagarko, sentenced Yusuf after he pleaded guilty to the offence and prayed the court for leniency.

Mr Kagarko, however, gave Yusuf the option of a N100,000 fine and warned him to desist from committing crimes in the future.

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

The prosecution counsel, Olisaemeka Okeke, told the court that Mr Ashafa Hussein, the chief security guard of T-pumpy Estate Lugbe Abuja, arrested and brought the convict to Lugbe police station on January 12.

Mr Okeke said the convict, a tiler in the estate, dishonestly went to Abdulmalik Idris’ house and vandalised all the electric cables used in wiring his house, valued at N 1.5 million.

He said the convict was caught in the process of escaping and handed over to the police for investigation.

The prosecutor said during police interrogation and investigation, the convict confessed to the crime and the cables were recovered from him.

Mr Okeke said the offence contravened sections 348, 327 and 288 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)