A Minna Chief Magistrate court, on Wednesday, sentenced two fake cancer patients to 18-month imprisonment with option of N8,000 fine.

Chioma Ibe and Stella John were arrested two weeks,  with four children they were using to extort money from members of the public.

The convicts were parading themselves around the streets of Minna as cancer patients, thereby eliciting sympathy from the public that gave them alms.

At the time of their arrest, Chioma Ibe and Stella John were caught with N49,050.

They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Nasir Muazu on a three-count charge of conspiracy, cruelty to children, unlawful compulsory labour and extortion contrary to sections 238, 280 and 290 of the penal code.

However, the prosecuting police officer, Mr Abdullahi Alhaji, told the court that the charge of conspiracy was dropped because the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.

When the charge was read to the accused persons, they pleaded guilty and asked the court to be lenient with them.

Chief Magistrate Muazu, therefore, sentenced the duo accordingly, with a warning that they should be of good behaviour in the future.

Chief Magistrate Muazu also ordered that the N49,050 recovered from the convicts should be forfeited to the government, with other items seized from them.