A Jos Upper Area Court on Wednesday sentenced four youths to three months imprisonment for smoking marijuana.

The judge, Mr Mohammed Yahaya, sentenced Yahaya Abubakar, Zakari Ibrahim, Ibrahim Aliyu and Tijani Sani who smoked the banned substance at a motor park in Jos.

Yahaya, however, gave the youths an option of N3,000 fine, each.

He warned the youths – first time offenders – to steer clear of crime.

The judge hoped that the sentence would deter others from committing crime.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Ibrahim Gukwat, told the court that the police arrested the youths as they were smoking marijuana at a park.

Gukwat told the court that police recovered a bag of the substance from the youths during a further investigation.

He told the court that the act constituted public nuisance and contravened Section 198 of the Penal Code.The prosecutor, however, submitted that the youths were first time offenders.