Student jailed 6 years for stealing phone in Borno

A magistrates’ court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced a female student, Balkisu Baba Shehu, to six years in prison for stealing a phone.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Jarus Manu, told the court that one Mercy Babayo (27) of Customs Barracks, Maiduguri, reported at the Gwange Police Division that Balkisu Baba Shehu, who was her friend, collected her Infinix Hot 12 phone valued at N70,000 for safe keeping in her handbag when they went to the Monday Market.

Manu said that on reaching home from the market, Mercy discovered that her phone was missing from the handbag, noting that two phones were in the handbag but that only Mercy’s got missing.

When the FIR was read to the accused, she pleaded guilty.

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The Magistrate, Alhaji Saleh Isa, sentenced the defendant to seven years in prison with an option of a fine of N100,000 and compensation of N70,000.