An Area Court sitting in Jos, on Friday sentenced a 28-year-old trader, Abdullahi Isa to one year imprisonment for extorting three cell phones from a sick man promising to heal him of his ailment.
Panel of two magistrates, Adam Sadiq and Hyacinth Dolnaan who sentenced Isa , however gave him a fine of N30,000.
The court also ordered the convict to pay a compensation of N30,000 to the complainant or spend another six months imprisonment.
They said the judgment would serve as deterrent to those who would want to indulge in such criminal acts.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that the case was reported on Aug. 6 at the Laranto Police station by Malam Nazifi Yakub, the complainant.
The prosecutor said that the convict connived with ”Mallam]], now at large and collected three phones worth N90,000 from the complainant to heal him of his ailment.
The prosecutor said the offence is punishable under the provisions of sections 59 and 277 of the Plateau Penal Code Law.