On Monday, September 7, an Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama in Jos, sentenced a 60-year old cashier, Yakubu Mekodo to 15 years imprisonment for embezzling N9. 1 million.
The Judge, Lawal Suleiman, sentenced Mekodo, after he pleaded guilty to embezzling the said sum.
Suleiman, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N150,000 or spend five years in prison .
He also ordered that the convict to paid N8.5 million as compensation or spend another 10 years in prison.
The judge said the punishment would serve as deterrent to others.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp. Monday Dabit told the court that the case was reported at the Nigeria Police Area Command office in Jos on Jan. 6 2015 by Mr Azuatalam Osigwe of Vital Foam Jos, the complainant.
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Dabit said that the convict in a confessional statement, said he used part of the money to buy two cars and other personal things.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 322 and 309 of the Penal Code law.
Meanwhile, a Senior Magistrates’ Court sitting in Kano on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man, Magaji Hallai, to three months in a Correctional Centre for stealing goods worth N170, 000 .
The Senior Magiistrate, Hajiya Fauziya Sheshe, sentenced Hallai after he pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing.
Sheshe, howeve, gave the convict an option to pay N10,000 as fine.
She also ordered him to pay N170,000 as compensation to the complainant or face 12-month jail term.
“The convict shall also sign a bond to be of good character in the sum of N50,000 with one surety. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment,” she said.
Earlier, the Prosecutor,Mr Ibrahim Muhammad, told the court that the defendant committed the offence in August at Gama Quarters Kano.
Muhammed said that the defendant broke into the vehicle of the complainant, Alhaji Inusa of Gama Quarters Kano and stole some items.
Muhammad listed the stolen items as five caps, four pairs of shoes, 15 yards of shadda material, 12 yards of Toyobo and one wrapper all valued N170,000.
He said the offence contravened Section 287 of the penal code.