A Jos Upper Area Court III sitting in Kasuwan Nama, Plateau State, yesterday sentenced a 62-year-old man, Dickson Gambo, to five years in prison for raping his nine-year-old cousin.
The presiding judge, Mr. Yahaya Mohammed, sentenced Gambo after he pleaded guilty to the charge of rape and begged the court for leniency.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced Adamu Umar, 27, to nine months’ imprisonment for trafficking in Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp).
The judge, Justice Ayokunle Faji, said yesterday that the convict was found guilty of the offence as charged by the prosecution, saying the sentence would begin from the date of his arrest.
Prosecutor Mr. Jeremiah Aernan of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned the convict on a one-count charge of drug trafficking.
He said the convict was arrested in Lagos, on September 15, following a tip-off.
Aernan said the convict was arrested with packages of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) weighing 300g.
According to the prosecutor, Cannabis Sativa is classified as a restricted narcotics and its trafficking contravenes Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
The convict pleaded guilty and begged for mercy.
He promised to be of good behaviour if pardoned.
The prosecutor tendered before the court a written statement of the accused, a request for scientific aid form, a drug analysis form, a bulk of the exhibit and remnant of the narcotics.
The court admitted the exhibits in evidence.
Aernan urged the court to convict and sentence the accused on the basis of the evidence adduced by prosecution.
An Evboriaria Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Osamede Okhomina to 15 years imprisonment for breaking into homes and stealing household items.
The convict was said to have committed the offence on January 18, last year, at Israel Lawani Street, off Country Home Road, Benin, the Edo State capital.
He reportedly broke into the homes of Osuagwu Sonia and Janet Kayode, and stole a television set, shoes, laptops, belts, perfume, sunglasses and N50,000 cash.
Osamede was arraigned on five-count charges bordering on stealing, conspiracy, break-in as well as entry and unlawful possession of firearms.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and did not call any witnesses during trial.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olatoye Oluwaseun, called Sergeant Oyenma Sunday, who testified that Osamede committed the offences.
Oluwaseun said the offences are punishable under sections 516, 411(2) 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, Vol. II, Laws of the defunct Bendel State, as applicable in Edo State.
Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. C. E. Oghuma, found the accused guilty of four of the five charges.
She sentenced Osamede to two years imprisonment on Count One; six years on Count Two; four years on Count Four and three years on Count Five.
All the sentences were without options of fine.
The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a 41-year- old man, Emmanuel Edet Eyo, to 15 years’ imprisonment for possessing 1.9 grammes of cocaine, 15.5 grammes of heroin and 1.7 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.
A three-count charge by Ella Chekwube Ordiah, prosecutor for the attorney-general of the federation, said the accused was caught with the substances on June 18, 2016 at Ikang in Bakassi Local Government of Cross River State, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
After hearing counsel to the prosecution and defendant, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered that the accused be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment without option of fine on count one, five years on count two and five years on count three, with effect from June 18.
He ordered that the exhibits labelled PW-D1, PW-D2 and PW-D3 be returned to the NDLEA for destruction.