Rivers State High Court has sentenced a former staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to one year imprisonment after being found guilty of stealing exhibits.
The defendant was arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on stealing.
One of the charges against him reads;
“That you, Hussaina Abubakar, in 2017 at Port Harcourt in the Port Harcourt Judicial Division did fraudulently steal an exhibit from the Forensic Section of EFCC, an exhibit which you knew was recovered in the course of investigation to wit: One Lenevo S60-A (daul sim) with serial number: HBOGOHAQ with IME slot number: 1-866059026043140, worth N18,000, belonging to one Chuku Nelson Nyegam and thereby committed an offence.”
According to report, the convict pleaded guilty to the charges as his defence counsel, M. M Suleiman pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
The defense counsel posited his prayer on grounds of Abubakar being a first time offender with no previous conviction record, an orphan, a married man, a father of a 15-months-old baby and a bread winner for his family.
Justice S.C Amadi of the Rivers State High Court however sentenced Abubakar to one year imprisonment with N150,000 option of fine.
