A Chief Magistrate Court I, sitting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, has sentenced one Hamza Abdullahi to three years’ imprisonment for defrauding 175 women of N5.4 million.

Abdullahi was arraigned for defrauding the women under the pretence of securing government jobs for them as cooks.

The state Prosecutor Aminu Diri had earlier told the court that the act contravened Section 140 of the Kebbi Administration of Criminal Justice Law and Section 341 of the Penal Code.

At Thursday’s resumed hearing, Defence Counsel Bashar Zakari urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying his client was a first-time offender and asked the court to consider a fine instead of a custodial sentence.

The prosecutor did not oppose the oral appeal, however, confirmed that Abdullahi was a first offender but said the complainants deserved justice given their suffering.

“The complainants’ N5.4 million is still unrecovered. If retrieved, it will bring relief and it will serve as a deterrent to others,” Mr Diri said.

He added that the case had suffered several adjournments at the defendant’s request to allow him to repay the money, lamenting that no payment was made.

Delivering judgment, Magistrate Abdullahi Koko said the court had considered submissions from both sides and would temper justice with mercy.

He noted the agony suffered by the widows, divorcees, and minors due to the convict’s actions.

“I don’t think the defendant’s name should be hidden among defrauders, swindlers, cheats and fraudsters,” he said.

The court attempted to identify assets owned by the convict that could be sold to repay the complainants but found he had no property in his name and still lived in his family house.

Magistrate Koko sentenced Abdullahi to one-year imprisonment under Section 341 of the Kebbi Criminal Justice Law Reform and Section 140 of the Penal Code for obtaining money under false pretence.

He also imposed one year for denying the complainants their means of livelihood, and an additional one year if he fails to repay the N5.4 million.

In response, the defence counsel Bashar Zakari thanked the court for its leniency. 

(NAN)