Court jails youths over phone snatching, others in Yola

The Chief Magistrate Court 2 sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has sentenced two young men to five years in prison each for accosting a woman and forcing her to surrender her mobile phone.

The two were arraigned on charges of criminal conspiracy and extortion.

They were arraigned before the court by the police prosecutor, Inspector Kabiru Abubakar, whose First Information Report (FIR) stated that Habiba Bello of Chochi Rumde Ward reported that on June 24, 2026, while on her way home, the convicts swooped on her and forcefully took her Infinix phone.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Zainab Buba Adamu, convicted and sentenced Samaila Musa and Suhailu Ismail, both of Doubeli Ward in Yola North Local Government Area, to five years in prison each.

Samaila Musa, 25, was sentenced to two years in prison, with an option of a N200,000 fine, for criminal conspiracy, and three years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine for extortion.

The court found Suhailu Ismail guilty of criminal conspiracy and sentenced him to two years in prison, with an option of a N200,000 fine, and three years in prison without an option of a fine for extortion.

The magistrate ordered that the sentences run concurrently and also ordered the convicts to pay N70,000 in compensation to the complainant, Habiba Bello.