A Jos Magistrates’ Court sitting in Plateau State has handed a nine-month prison sentence to a 23-year-old trader, Joseph Peter, for breaking into a neighbour’s home and stealing valuables, including a gas cooker and food supplies.
The ruling, delivered by Magistrate Shawomi Bokkos, followed Peter’s guilty plea to burglary and theft charges brought against him in the court.
Investigations revealed that in addition to food items and a gas cooker, the trader also stole clothing, a phone, and a laptop.
However, during the ruling on Wednesday, he was given the option to pay a N20,000 fine in place of the jail term slammed on him by the judge.
The court also mandated that the convict pay N130,000 in compensation to the victim, Ngumut Jacob.
Police prosecutor Ijuptil Thiawur told the court that Jacob had lodged a complaint at the Anglo-Jos Police Station on January 11, leading to Peter’s arrest.
