NAN-H-89
Sentence
Makurdi, Nov. 24, 2016 (NAN) A Makurdi Magistrate Court on Thursday sentenced the Executive Secretary , Benue Teachers’ Service Board (TSB), James Pine, to five months’ imprisonment for assault and criminal force.
Delivering judgment, the Magistrate, Mr Daniel Ugo, said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said the facts of the case showed that the accused actually committed the crime.
Ugo said that defendant failed to defend himself and the matters raised in the suit and instead described the case as an imaginary one.
According to him, the witnesses the plaintiffs called during the trial feigned ignorance of the matter.
However, the magistrate said the evidence before the court clearly showed that the assault and criminal force preferred against the plaintiff was unprovoked and unchallenged by the defendant.
“With the evidence before me, I hearby sentence the accused, Mr Pine, to five months imprisonment with an option of N10,000 fine.”
He said the offence contravened Section 268 of the Penal Code, Laws of Benue State, 2004.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr James Asema had dragged Pine to court for alleged assault and criminal force.
Asema said that he was on duty on March 11, 2016, within the premises of TSB when the accused, without any provocation from the complainant, assaulted and used criminal force on him.
He further explained that the accused slapped him severally, kicked and pushed him to the ground.
He also said the accused used his powers as the TSB boss to cause his transfer to Agatu Local Government, where there were communal crises.
“On reaching the generator house, I met the accused at the front; he asked me is it what I asked you to do; he then slapped me several times, kicked me and pushed me down.
“When I stood up I saw PW1 who helped me to stand up from the ground.
“This time, the accused was talking loudly that next time if I repeated what happened, he will deal with me or even kill me.”
Asema said that after the incident, he delayed the lawsuit in the belief that his boss would come to his senses and apologise; instead he ordered his transfer to “a dangerous place”.
The accused had denied all charges and insisted that it was “politically motivated”. (NAN)
AEB/PD/NKO
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