Women jailed for public disturbance
Thirty-eight women were last Friday sentenced to two months’ imprisonment by an Abuja mobile court for engaging in an act that constitute nuisance in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Thirteen others who denied the allegation were granted bail.
The accused persons were arrested by the FCT Joint Task Force, comprising, Social Development Secretariat, Police and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB) at various streets in the city in the early hours of Friday morning.
The prosecutors, Barrister Eze E. Eze, had earlier informed the court that the accused persons were arrested while carrying out activities that constituted an offense within the FCT, contrary to Section 35 (1h) of the AEPB Act No 10 of 1997 and also engaging in an act contrary to public morality and health, contrary to Section 45 (la) of the Nigerian constitution.
When the content of the First Information Report (FIR) was read to the accused persons, 38 of them pleaded guilty and begged for leniency while 13 others pleaded not guilty.
One of the 13 accused persons who denied the charge, a lawyer, urged the court to grant them bail under Section 36 of the Nigerian constitution and to temper justice with mercy joint on those that pleaded guilty.
Magistrate Aminu Abdullahi sentenced each of the 38 accused persons that pleaded guilty to two months imprisonment with an option of N4,000 fine
The magistrate also granted the requests of each of the 13 accused persons in the sums of N10,000 with a surety in like sum who must reside within the court’s
jurisdiction.
He warned those convicted to desist from the acts and that if they are re-arraigned before him again, they will be sentenced to jail.
Daily Trust Monday 8th November 2010
Page 59
By Usman A. Bello & Kudirat B. Salaudeen
