Carpenter jailed 12 months for stealing phone in Benue

A Magistrate Court in Makurdi, Benue State, on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 26-year-old carpenter, Alex Terver, to one year imprisonment for stealing an Oppo mobile phone valued at N185,000.

‎Terver, who resides at No. 5, Tafawa Balewa Street, High Level, Makurdi, was charged with criminal breach of trust and theft.

‎The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs Ada Jack, convicted and sentenced Terver to one year imprisonment but gave him an option of a N100,000 fine. The Magistrate also ordered the convict to pay N210,000 in compensation to the owner of the phone.

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‎Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Jonah Uletu, told the court that the case was reported to the Anti-Cultism Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Makurdi, following a petition written by the complainant, Silvanus Okofa.

‎According to Uletu, Okofa told the police that sometime in August 2026, Terver went to his sister-in-law’s shop, known as Mama Ebuka, and collected her Oppo mobile phone, valued at N185,000, under the pretext of making a telephone call.

‎“After collecting the phone under the pretext of making a call, he ran away with it to an unknown destination,” the prosecutor said.

‎Uletu further told the court that the complainant reported that Terver later sold the phone to another person for N27,000 and converted the proceeds to his personal use.

Okofa also told the police that Terver was arrested during investigation and confessed to committing the offence.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 312 and 288 of the Penal Code Law of Benue, 2004.

(NAN)