A Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced two farmers to seven years in prison for cattle rustling.
Delivering judgment, Magistrate Hauwa Yusuf, sentenced Abdullahi Abubakar and Musa Shehu, after they pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy, grievous hurt and cattle rustling.
Yusuf, who did not give the convicts an option to pay a fine, said the punishment would serve as deterrent to others.
The Police Prosecutor, Sgt Bello Mohammed, had told the court that one Adamu Yusuf of Kudu Gari in Mokwa Local Government Area, reported the in April 2018.
Mohammed said the convicts attacked the complainant’s son who had gone grazing in the bush with 27 cows and 33 sheep.
He said that they inflicted life threatening wounds when they attacked the boy with cutlasses and sticks.
Mohammed also said that the convicts tied up their victim in the bush and made away with his animals.
He said that police detectives were able to recover 15 cows and 16 sheep.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 247 of the Penal Code and Section 8 of the kidnapping and cattle rustling law of Niger state. (NAN)
