Two persons, Buba Bello and Abubakar Umar, have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each with hard labour by the Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for stealing 14 cows worth N2.5 million.
Bello, 30, and Umar, 26, were charged with criminal conspiracy, intimidation, trespass, theft and extortion.
The prosecutor, Abdullahi Tanko, had earlier told the court that the matter was reported on February 3 at Gwagwalada Police Station by Muhamodu Bello and Usman Dikko, both of Dukpa Village Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Tanko alleged that on January 21, the convicts and one Mr Umar, now at large, conspired and trespassed into Mr Bello’s cattle farm and stole 14 cows worth N2.5 million.
The convicts later called and demanded N250,000 from the complainant to release the cattle, prompting him to send N150,000 to them through a point of sale (POS) account number they sent to him.
However, they released only 11 cows and sold three valued at N1.1 million to an unknown person for N250,000 and kept the money for themselves.
The prosecution also said the convicts threatened to kill Dikko, the second complainant, if he tried looking for them.
Delivering judgment after Bello and Umar pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, Chief Magistrate Munir Sani, sentenced the convicts to one year in imprisonment for each offence without an option of a fine.
He also ordered the convicts to pay compensation of N165,000 to the complainants.