An Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama, in Jos, on Monday sentenced a 58-year-old petrol truck driver, Bako Umar, to two years imprisonment for stealing.
The judge, Lawal Suleiman, said the sentence followed Umar’s plea of guilty to the offence.
NAN reports that Umar begged for leniency.
Suleiman gave him an option of N15,000 fine or a jail term of one year for breach of trust and another N15, 000 for misappropriation or one year in the Nigeria Correctional Centre.
The judge said that the sentences would run concurrently, and ordered the convict to pay compensation of N650, 000 to the complainant.
According to him, the judgment will serve as a deterrent to those who would want to indulge in such criminal act.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Monday Dabit, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 3 at the Nigeria Police Area Command by the complainant, Manu Duwo, of Angwan Rogo.
Dabit said that the defendant, who resides at Mista-Ali, was a staff in Tabuk Oil as a truck driver entrusted with the responsibility of lifting and conveying Oil and Gas.
He said the convict was to convey petrol from Lagos to Jos, but during one of his trips, he dishonestly stole 5, 000 litres of petrol on the way before getting to Jos.
The prosecutor said the cost of the stolen product valued at N725, 000, adding that he sold the product and converted the money to his personal use.
The prosecutor said that the offences were contrary to Sections 299, 307 and 296 of Plateau State Code of Law.
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