A Federal High Court sitting in Katsina State has sentenced no fewer than twelve persons to three months imprisonment or to pay fifty thousand naira each.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari gave the judgement in a case brought before it by the Katsina State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service.
Those sentenced were among the forty two persons that were repatriated to Nigeria by authorities in Niger Republic, after emigrating illegally into that country.
Justice Shagari delivered her judgment after the prosecution counsel tendered documents before the Court including a letter from the Nigerien police that was written in French and dated July 9th 2020, an International passport belonging to the 8th Defendant as well as voluntary statements made by all the 12 Defendants.
Both the prosecution and the defence counsels led by Barrister Obilor Collins and Barrister Najib Abdullahi, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, pointing out that the convicts would have been sentenced to ten years imprisonment with an option of two million naira fines.
The Nigeria Immigration Service in Katsina State added that the remaining 30 suspects repatriated will soon be arraigned in court, upon completion of Investigation.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
