Sharia: Man Jailed for 12 Months for Selling Alcohol in Niger State
A Minna Chief Magistrate Court on Tuesday sentenced
one Baba Abuja to 12 months imprisonment for contravening the Saharia law.
Baba Abuja was arrested and charged before Chief
Magistrate Abdullahi Usman for selling alcohol in a prohibited area of Paiko
town.
According to the Sharia law which came into effect in
the state in 2002, it is illegal to sell alcohol in local government area headquarters
without obtaining the required permit.
However, Chief Magistrate Usman gave the convict an option
of N200,000 fine.
According to
the prosecution, the arrest was based on a petition by some residents of Paiko which was addressed
to the state Governor, Abubakar Sani
Bello, indicating that the sale and consumption of alcohol in the Paiko town
had constituted a serious security threat to the people.
The prosecution said the governor directed the Chairman
of the liquor board, Yahaya Halidu, to commence investigation of the petition
which led to the arrest of the convict.
When the charge was read, Baba Abuja admitted guilt
and was summarily tried. Items
recovered from him and tendered as exhibits included cartons of Guilder, local
gins, Star Larger beer and stout.
In the same court, a female liquor vendor, Asabe Solomon,
was also sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of N50,000
fine for selling alcohol in Gbadna
village also in Paiko Local Government Area of the state.
When she was arraigned before Chief Magistrate
Usman, she pleaded guilty to the charge of selling locally brewed alcohol popularly
called Burukutu without licence.
She urged the court to consider her age and give her
a light sentence promising to stop the sales of alcohol.
No comments:
Post a Comment