Abuja taxi driver bags 18-month jail for stabbing traffic officer

Abuja taxi driver bags 18-month jail for stabbing traffic officer 

An Abuja Area Court has sentenced a commercial taxi driver, Bello Ibrahim, to 18-month imprisonment for stabbing a traffic officer.

The police charged Ibrahim, 29, with resisting arrest and grievously hurting the traffic law enforcement officer.

The judge, Saminu Suleiman, on Tuesday sentenced the offender after he pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

Suleiman gave the convict option of N60,000 fine and warned him to desist from committing crime.

The judge also ordered the convict to pay N160, 000 as compensation to the complainant for his cell phone and medical treatment.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, had told the court that the matter was reported on February 16 at Zuba Police Station by a traffic officer, Alid Oiechara, attached to station.

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Ogada said that on the same date, the complainant led a team of police personnel for traffic check at Dan Kogi bridge Zuba, Abuja

He said that the convict was arrested for obstruction and wrong parking.

While the complainant was taking him to the police station, the prosecutor said when they got to Tungamaje roundabout, the convict parked the car and refused to go to the station.

Ogada told the court that the convict brought out a knife and stabbed the complainant on his head and hand, as a result of which he sustained a serious injury on his body.

The prosecutor said after the convict stabbed the complainant, he immediately ran into his car and drove off with the officer`s cell phone.

Babajide said that the complainant was rushed to the Minat Hospital for treatment and the medical bill was N324,000.

He told the court that during police investigation, the convict confessed committing the crime.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened the provisions of Sections 245, and 311 of the Penal Code.

Abuja taxi driver bags 18-month jail for stabbing traffic officer