A senior lecturer at the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Dr Fred Ayokahi has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for assaulting a 20-year-old student, Blessing Mathias.
Ayokahi, who was convicted by a Nasarawa State High Court sitting in Obi, the headquarters of Obi Local Government Area of the state, had been standing trial for criminal conspiracy, house breaking, abduction, voluntarily causing grievous hurt without provocation and assault.
He had been in detention since 22nd October 2022 at the Nigeria Correctional services in Lafia.
The lecturer had been arraigned alongside Emmanuella Ayokahi, Bob-Praise Ayokahi and Saint-Dan Ayokahsas as second, 3rd and 4th defendants, who are all his children, while one accomplice is still at large.
The defence counsel, Barrister A. U. Idris, had approached the court for plea bargain, after his clients pleaded guilty to the crime.
It was gathered that both parties consented to the plea bargain agreement and charges against the 1st and the 4th defendants were amended.
The convict and the second to fourth defendants were hitherto charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy and physical assault with canes and sticks, contrary to sections 96 and 264 and punishable under sections 97 and 265 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Northern Nigeria, 1963 respectively.
Presiding over the matter on 20th April 2023, Justice S. W. Ayenajeh convicted the 1st defendant and sentenced him to jail for six months for criminal conspiracy and another six months for assault.
The judge however said the sentence would run concurrently in consideration of his plea.
Justice Ayenajeh said, the six months period, which Dr. Fred had been in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service would be reckoned with.
He added, consequent upon the plea bargain and taken into cognizance the ages of his children, the 2nd to 4th defendants would keep the premises of the Nasarawa State High Court of Justice clean for six months, while the third defendant was admonished to shave his dreg locks.
Ayokahi thanked his Lordship and parties in the matter for the consideration and the leniency accorded him.
The convict, however, drew the attention of the court that, as a father and teacher in the federal institution, he was not and has never been found wanting in the discharge of his duties, adding that had taken further steps to compensate the victim, Blessing Mathias, as part of his consent for the plea bargain.
The prosecuting counsel and the State Attorney-General, Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, said the step taken by the government was to provide for the defendant the second chance in life, particularly the children.
