The Zuba Upper Area Court on Thursday sentenced a 37-year-old trader, Masiru Sadiq, to 10 years’ imprisonment for sodomising a nine-year-old boy.

Mr Sadiq was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to sodomy. He begged the court for forgiveness and mercy.

The judge, Mohammed Sani, said the convict was not a first offender and refused to give him an option of a fine. He also ordered the convict to pay N50,000 as a fine to court after serving his jail terms or serve two years imprisonment in place of the fine.

The judge said the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others and warned the convict to be a good citizen and of good behaviour and desist from committing crimes after serving his jail term.