Court Sends 5 Scavengers to Jail Over Public Nuisance in Abuja

A Dei-dei Grade 1 Area Court, Shagari Quarters, Abuja, on Monday sentenced five scavengers to three months imprisonment for constituting public nuisance.

The police charged the convicts, Abubakar, Sadiq, Mubarak Mohammed Bashiru Yahaya, Ismail Mohammed and Gambo Isah, all of no fixed address, with public nuisance.

The Judge, Sulyman Ola, however, gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N10,000 each and urged them to always be law-abiding citizens.

The convicts pleaded guilty to the crime and asked the court to temper justice with mercy.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada told the court that on Aug. 15 at about 2:00 a.m., the police surveillance team attached to Gwarinpa police station arrested the convicts, while on crime prevention patrol.

Ogada said that the surveillance team arrested the convicts in 3rd Avenue Gawrinpa, while operating as scavengers.

He told the court that the convicts have been warned to desist from operating in the area, but they refused to comply with the order.

Ogada said during police investigation the convicts could not give satisfactory account of their actions and the offence contravened Section 198 of the Penal Code Law.