An Oredo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Monday, sentenced a 31-year-old man, Adamu Gaji to three years in prison for stealing two cows.

The Chief Magistrate, Awawu Osayande sentenced Gaji, after she found him guilty of one count of stealing filed against him.

Osayande, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N180,000.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, ASP Patrick Agbonifo told the court that the convict on June 10, 2019 at Amagbe Community did stole two cows; (one Bush cow and one Groundnut cow) valued N700,000.

He said the cows are the property of Mr Ogieriaki Omoruyi.

According to the prosecutor,

“Mr Omoruyi had employed Gaji to take care of his cows, adding that on that faithful day, Gaji took the cows to the bush and did not return with the two cows.”

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provision of section 390(8 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, now applicable in Edo