In a significant legal development, a Chief Magistrate Court in Minna, Niger State has sentenced a dismissed Police Inspector, Yahaya Mohammed, to two years in prison for his involvement in the theft and sale of an AK-47 magazine and ammunition to suspected armed bandits.
The convict, who was in charge of the armoury at the Niger State Police Command Headquarters, was found guilty of conspiring with another officer, Ndaman Gana, to commit the offense.
Mohammed faced a two-count charge, including criminal conspiracy, theft of an AK-47 magazine, and the unlawful sale of the magazine and ammunition. The court heard that the convict, working as the Second in-Command at the State armoury in Minna, sold the stolen items to an ex-Corporal, Sani Mohammed, formerly attached to MOPOL 12 Minna.
The information leading to Mohammed’s arrest came from a reliable source within the Department of State Service, indicating that unknown individuals transported goods suspected to be arms to Kagara Motor Park. Police detectives intervened, resulting in the arrest of the dismissed police inspector.
The court, after reading the charges to Mohammed, accepted his guilty plea. The prosecutor then urged the court to expedite proceedings and convict him summarily under Section 190 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Niger State, citing the convict’s health condition diagnosed with cough hemophiliacs.
Expressing disappointment at the former police officer’s actions, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, sentenced Mohammed to two years in prison. She directed that if he couldn’t pay the fine, he should serve his jail term at Chanchaga Leprosium Colony. The judgment reflects the severity of the offense and emphasizes the responsibility of law enforcement officers to uphold the law they are sworn to enforce.
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