Labourer gets 4-month jail term for extortion

A Dei-Dei Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced a 25-year-old labourer, Umar Ismahi, to four months imprisonment for extortion. Ismahi, who resides at Map Global junction, Gwarinpa, Abuja was charged with extortion. The Area Court judge, Sulyman Ola, however, gave Ismahi an option of N20,000 fine. Ismahi had earlier pleaded guilty and […]

A Dei-Dei Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced a 25-year-old labourer, Umar Ismahi, to four months imprisonment for extortion.

Ismahi, who resides at Map Global junction, Gwarinpa, Abuja was charged with extortion.

The Area Court judge, Sulyman Ola, however, gave Ismahi an option of N20,000 fine.

Ismahi had earlier pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the convict committed the offence on Aug. 8.

Ogada said the complainant, Felix Awolow, of Kuchibima Gwarinpa, Abuja, reported the matter at the Gwarinpa police station on the same date.

Ogade told the court that the convict accosted the complainant on his way back from work and criminally commanded him to hand over his Mp3 radio to him for no reason.

He said when the complainant refused to give him the Mp3, the convict brought out a cutlass and threatened to cut him.

Ogada said the complainant quickly handed over the Mp3 to the convict to save his life but alerted the police patrol team around the area.

According to Ogada, the police gave the convict a hot chase and he jumped over an uncompleted building fence and sustained injuries on his heels and mouth.

He said the convict was arrested and brought to the station for investigation.

The prosecutor said during police investigation, the Mp3 radio was recovered from the convict and he confessed to the crime.

Ogada said the offence contravened the provisions of section 291 of the Penal Code.