Federal High Court sitting in Katsina has sentenced 12 illegal migrants to three months in jail for evading immigration clearance while crossing Nigerian borders to another country through illegal routes.
Nigeria Immigration Service had dragged the accused before the court after they were apprehended and repatriated from Niger Republic.
The accused pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them in court.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Hadiza Shagari said the convicts could, however, pay a fine of N50,000 each to serve as a deterrent to others.
Prosecuting counsel, Obilor Collins and defence counsel, Najib Abdullahi, lauded the judgement.
The convicted persons are from Enugu, Edo, Lagos, Rivers, Ogun, Delta and Abia states.
They were among the 42 suspects repatriated to the country through the Kongolam Control Post.
The remaining 30 suspects will soon be arraigned in court upon completion of charges against them.