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therefore applied that the accused be tried summarily. The court
explain to the accused the implication of his plea which was
confirmed by his counsel, but he voluntarily pleaded guilty. He said I
am guilty as charged. The summary of the facts of the case as
distilled from the charge is that the accused person pretended to be
a staff coordinator of Federal Ministry of Information and
Communication and obtain monies amounting to N1.5 Million from
some people under the colour of the said office that he will give
them employment. I have given deep consideration to the plea of
the accused person. I have noted that by his plea he opted for
summary trial. It is the law that where the accused person pleaded
guilty to a charge he is standing trial except for capital offence, a
plea of guilty can be entered for him. Consequently having satisfied
myself with requirement of the law, it is my considered view to
commit the accused person on 2 court charge.
I accordingly convict the accused as charged in count 1 & 2
respectively.
Allocutus: The accused person is a 1st time offender, the accused
has voluntarily pleaded guilty to court. He did not
intend to waste the time of the court. The accused
person is remorseful, and he informed me that he
has fully purged to be of good behaviour. The
accused person is a widower having lost his wife in
2015, the bread winner of the family. He has a little
child of 1 year and some month. The accused
person has been in custody since November 2014.
The child is under the care of a nanny whose
threatened to abandoned the little boy. Based on
the foregoing I apply that this court to temper
justice with mercy. The accused person regret his
action. I urge the court to consider an option of fine
in the circumstances. He has undertaken to be of
good behavior.
Prosecution:
We are not opposed to the plea of allocotus. He is a
1st time offender. In the interest of justice, we align
with accused counsel, that this court should temper
justice with mercy.