On the whole, I hold that in view of all the foregoing, the prosecution
has proved all the essential elements of the offences of Criminal
Conspiracy and Unnatural Offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and
284 of the Penal Code respectively and therefore proved its case
beyond reasonable doubt against all the Defendants.
Accordingly, I resolve the sole issue formulated against the Defendants
and in favour of the prosecution.
Consequently, the prosecution having proved its case beyond
reasonable doubt against the Defendants, this court hereby find you
Fodio Bello and Bello Altine guilty as charged.
ALLOCUTUS
V.E. Ikwuta Esq: The convicts are first time offenders and are now
remorseful of what they have done. They promise not to
commit any offence if given a second change. We pray the
court to be lenient in sentencing with an option of fine.
H.S. Buhari Esq: It is true that the convicts are first time offenders and
we have no objection to the plea for leniency made by the
defence counsel.
SENTENCE
By the provisions of Section 310 (3) of the Sokoto State ACJL 2019, a
trial court while sentencing a convict, is required to take into
consideration all aggravating and mitigating evidence or information
as a guide in deciding the nature and extent of the sentence to be
passed against the convict.
In passing this sentence, I have taken into consideration the allocutus
made by the defence counsel on behalf of the convicts as well as the
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