Two middle age men, Buhari Aminu and Bamanga Mohammed have been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by Upper Area Court III Yola, in Adamawa state for criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and theft.
The 2 convicts have also been ordered to pay the sum Five Million One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (#5.150million) compensation to one Alhaji Hayatu Bakari, a businessman in Yola South Local Government Area.
The court further ordered that the convicts should be given 12 strokes of cane each at the scene of the crime in Yola South market on Friday being a market day, so as to serve as deterrent to others.
Buhari Aminu, a sales boy and Bamanga Mohammed were charged to court for the offences of criminal breach of trust, theft by servant, criminal misappropriation, and receiving of stolen property contrary to sections 312, 289, 308 and 317 of the Penal Code Law Adamawa state.
Both the convicts who were arraigned before the court by the Commissioner of Police in 2014, pleaded not guilty to all the allegations slammed against them.
Buhari was employed as sales boy in Alhaji Hayatu's shop located in Yola South market, and said to had used the position and kept on diverting Jerry cans of vegetable oil of his employer worth #5.150 million.
The 1st convict, according to prosecution had been supplying the stolen goods to Bamanga, the 2nd convict for delivery to customers at cheaper rate as against that of the market.
But in a bid to prove its case against the accused persons now convicts, the prosecution called 7 witnesses and tendered 5 exhibits in support of the case.
All the witnesses testified before the court that there were deliveries of the vegetable oil by Bamanga and that the deliveries were on several occasions, confirming that the goods were in large quantities, and that all the jerrycans contained the name of Alhaji Hayatu boldly written on them.
The witnesses admitted before the court that there was transaction between Buhari and Bamanga and was done in the open in Yola market and not hidden, saying it was Bamanga that was supplying the goods he collected from Buhari to customers within Yola town.
The witnesses informed the Honourable Court that the deliveries were carried without receipts, knowledge or consent of the owner of the shop, and that they made use of truck pushers in conveying their stolen goods to their customers.
Delivering its judgement Yesterday, the court presided by Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR), Abbas Adamu Hobon convicted the duo to 18 years imprisonment with an option of #180,000 fine.
The presiding Judge said that Buhari Aminu has been convicted for 4 years for the offence of criminal breach of trust, 4 years for the theft by servant and 2 years for criminal misappropriation with #100,000 option of fine.
While Bamanga Mohammed according to Abbas is sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for criminal misappropriation and 6 years imprisonment for dishonestly receiving stolen property with #80,000 option of fine.
The presiding judge held that the jail term will run concurrently, and that whoever that is aggrieved can appeal the judgement within 30 days from the day of the verdict, and however ordered that the convicts should pay compensation to the tune of #5.150million.
He further ordered that the convicts be given 12 strokes of cane each at the Shop of Alhaji Hayatu in Yola market on Friday, so as to serve as deterrent to others.
Before they were sentenced, the young men begged for leniency which the court has considered it in passing down the judgement.
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