A Chief Magistrate Court in Yola, Adamawa State, has sentenced eight individuals to 10 years imprisonment each for vandalising the Yola airport properties. The convicts were found guilty of a five-count charge including criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, mischief, theft, and dishonestly receiving stolen property.

Chief Magistrate Mohammed Njidda presided over the court. The sentences were handed down to Tamakai Augustine, 19, Remember Markus, 22, Junior Livinus, 22, Salvation Bosom, 18, Sunday Bulus, 18, Geoffrey Karuni, 18, Salvation Amos, and Jude Anthony.

The court also ordered each convict to pay N4,033,000, totaling N32,264,000, as compensation for the vandalised airport property.

Inspector S. S. Nicholas, the prosecutor, informed the court that the convicts, along with others at large, committed the offences on July 23, 2024. They trespassed into the airport, vandalised its cables and telecommunication equipment, and sold the stolen items to Suleiman Ibrahim for N81,000.

While the convicts pleaded guilty, Augustine Stephen, 45, pleaded not guilty, and his case was reserved. Two other suspects, Suleiman Ibrahim and Yusuf Adamu, remain at large.