A bus driver and his conductor were last Tuesday sentenced to one and five months imprisonment respectively by an Abuja Magistrate Court for injuring two officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Christopher Ocheze, 37, and Oyeyemi Tobi, 25, all of Ushafa village, were convicted for joint act and causing hurt, offences contrary to Sections 79 and 246 of the Penal Code.

Police Prosecutor, Echendu Kelechi, told the court that one Jonathan Ayan of Bwari and one Opeyemi Oladejo of Karasana village, both NURTW members attached to Dutsen Alhaji, reported of how the accused, on same day, parked their Toyota Hiace bus at Dutse junction to pick passengers.

He said when they were asked to move down, they refused and when one of the complainants came to hold the door, the driver moved the bus while his conductor pushed him down and used a knife to inflict a cut on his chin, which caused him to sustain serious injuries both on his face and arm.

According to the prosecutor, when the NURTW member's colleague, Jonathan, came to his rescue, the conductor used the same knife to cut him on his left wrist.

When the charges were read to the accused, they pleaded guilty and the Magistrate, Rosemary Kanyip, sentenced the driver to one month imprisonment or to pay N1,000 as fine, while his conductor was sentenced to five months imprisonment with N3,000 fine option.

The magistrate warned the convicts to desist from carrying harmful weapons around.