Daily Trust - the online edition

An Abuja magistrate court yesterday sentenced a 20 year old bus conductor to two months imprisonment for stealing a handset. He was however given a fine option of N100.

The presiding magistrate, Rosemary Kayyip, had before the sentence told the accused person that hardship is no defense for stealing and advised him to go back to his home town since he has nothing doing in Abuja.

The Bus conductor, Yosia Samuel and two others now at large were said to have stolen a Nokia phone set belonging to one Bennu Anozie.

The prosecutor Phanuel Masi had earlier told the court that on April 22, 2008 Bennu Anuzie reported to Wuse police station that on the same day the accused person and two others now at large stole the said phone set valued at N6, 000 from her pocket at Wuse Bus Stop.

The prosecutor further state that during police investigation the accused person confessed that it was one of his friends that stole the handset and that he spoke with the friend on phone at the station to returned the said phone set.

The accused not represented by a counsel pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read out to him in court and pleaded with the court to forgive him and that he had already planed to go back to his village.

The prosecutor asked the court to try the accused summarily having accepted liability of the offence.

The presiding magistrate sentences him to jail.

In another court, a business man was arraigned for breach of trust and cheating.

The business man, Alex jumbo was said to have collected a HP laptop from one Sheyi Ogundipe on trust to pay back in two week time but absconded with it.

The prosecutor Adamu Abdullahi told the court that on September 12, 2007, Sheyi Ogundipe reported to Wuse police Station that some times in May, 2007 the accused person collected the said lap top valued at N180, 000 on trust and absconded until he was arrested by the police

"The accused person has signed several undertakings at the station to pay back the money since September last year but reneged on it" the prosecutor said.

The accused person denied the charges in court, saying he collected the said laptop for one clement who promised to pay the money by May, 2007 but could not due to home problem.

"When I went to his office with the police, we were told that he is no longer working there and since then I have not see him" he said

His counsel Gabriel Egbule asked the court to grant his client bail on the ground that he has a reasonable surety to stand for his bail.

The presiding magistrate Elizerbeth Wonni granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be civil servant of not below grade 03 in any ministry and adjourned the case to May 22 for hearing.