Aminu Hayatau Tafida, son of the Special Adviser(SA) on Social Investments to Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and two others have been sentenced to four years and six-month imprisonment for circulating a n-ude video.
Tafida, Umar Abubakar and Masaud Abubakar Gidado, where sentenced on Tuesday, September 21, with an option of N400,000 Fine, each.
The accused had allegedly to have lured a girl 16 year old girl to a hotel within the Sokoto metropolis where he allegedly drugged her, had carnal knowledge of her and recorded the act.
According to report, the incident occurred sometime in 2017 but Tafida kept the video until 2020 when the lady’s dowry had been paid and time fixed for marriage.
He and his accomplice shared the video to social media groups.
At the resumed hearing in the case which has suffered several adjournments, Chief Magistrate Shu’aibu Ahmad of the Magistrate Court sitting in Sokoto, noted that ‘the prosecuting counsel had proved his case beyond any reasonable doubts and as such, the three accused persons were convicted for the very offenses put forward before them’.
He gave counsels to the trio, opportunity to make any other submission before he reads his sentence.
Counsels to all the defendants separately but unanimously said they did not intend to call any other witness. They, however, pleaded that justice should be tempered with mercy on grounds that all the defendants were youths who had the future before them and first-time offenders; hence the need to consider option of fine as well.
“We are appealing to this honorable court to show leniency in its sentence, more so that they have all shown remorsefulness over their actions. We are, therefore, appealing that other options should also be considered as sentencing convicts is no longer a fashion this time around.
“If in case this court so wish to sentence them, the court should be liberal taking into cognizance the economic hardship being faced this time around, we so appeal,” they stated.
Announcing his judgement, the Chief Magistrate, said he had taken into consideration the fact that the defendants were first-time offenders, and will therefore be lenient but give maximum sentence.
Shu’aibu said, for the offences of indecent act which goes contrary to Section 171 of Sokoto State Penal Code, the defendants are sentenced to pay a fine of N200,000 each ,whose default will lead to two-year imprisonment.
He said for the offence of sharing and sale of obscene book, the defendants are sentenced to pay 50,000 each, for whose default will lead to two- year imprisonment.
Shu’aibu further said that, for the offence of abatement, Section 48 of the Sokoto Penal Code provides N50,000 naira or conviction for six months in the case of default.
Shu’aibu also said that each of the defendants is to pay N100,000 compensation to the complainant.
Reacting to the development, both the prosecutor, ASP Simon Sule; and the complainant said they were satisfied with the judgment, and, according to them, the pronouncements will serve as deterrence to others.
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