A 30-year-old man, Mr. Mande Zaki, of Kuta in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, has been sentenced to spend two years in the Minna Correctional Centre for stealing a tuber of yam.

In addition, Zaki is to spend another one month jail term or pay N1000 fine for trespass.

The sentences were pronounced by Chief Magistrate Aishatu Loko Ibrahim after an encounter between Zaki and the Niger State Chief Judge, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, who was on a prison decongestion exercise of correctionl centres.

Justice Abdulmalik had been told that Zaki was awaiting trial for stealing and criminal trespass, an offence the convict owned up to.

Zaki told the Chief Judge when asked if he actually stole “yams” that “it is true that I stole a tuber of yam because I was seriously hungry.

“I stole one yam from the place when I went to search for my goat. This is the first time I am getting involved in this kind of problem. I have never stolen anything before. I was hungry and this pushed me to steal the yam, please have mercy on me.”

But Justice Abdulmalik asked the chief magistrate to “summarily” try Zaki, which led to his conviction.

The chief magistrate ordered that the sentences should run concurrently. (THISDAY: Text, Excluding Headline)