ABUJA, NIGERIA — A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Wuse, Abuja, has released a convicted thief, Ibrahim Salisu, on grounds of ill-health following his guilty plea to charges of joint act and theft.
Presiding Chief Magistrate Ekpeyong Inyang exercised judicial leniency, ruling that the convict’s severe health condition warranted a non-custodial consideration rather than immediate imprisonment.
“Justice is not about punishing offenders alone,” Chief Magistrate Inyang held. “You are advised to be cautious and never commit such an act again. If you commit this crime again, you will be sent to prison.”
Earlier, Police Prosecution Counsel Catherine Okafor informed the court that officers Inspector Isa Yusuf and Mukaila Dayyabu of the Utako Police Division arrested Salisu on July 25, 2026.
Okafor stated that Salisu was apprehended alongside an accomplice identified simply as Bagga, who remains at large.
At the time of the arrest, the suspects were found in possession of two commercial outdoor air conditioning units and a water pumping machine, all suspected to have been stolen from Morrison Hotel in the Utako district of Abuja.
