The magistrate, Mohammed Tahir, sentenced Okonkwo after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

“The defendant has no reason why he should not be convicted; I therefore convict him for the offence of theft,’’ Tahir said.

Tahir, however, gave him an option to pay a fine of N10, 000.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi, told the court that one James Alfred, a resident of Wuse, Abuja, lodged a complaint against the defendant at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station on June 23.

He said that the convict, while at the night club located at Wuse stole the Samsung galaxy cell phone that belonged to the complainant.

Okonkwo, who pleaded guilty to the offence, however, begged for leniency.