By Emmanuel Elebeke

An FCT Magistrate Court 1, Siting in Wuse 2, on Monday sentenced the factional President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Adodo to 18 months imprisonment for forgery.

The Court had on 14th February sentenced Adodo for parading himself as a factional President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria on three count charges including impersonation, inciting public disturbance, impersonation and forgery.

Delivery the judgement, the Magistrate, Hon. Helila Ilela said Adodo must be punished for inciting public disturbance and for this, he sentenced him to prison for 150 days with an option of N20,000 fine.

On the second count charge, the Magistrate also sentenced Adodo for 150 days for impersonation with an option of N2,000 fine and for the third count, he sentenced him for 450 days without an option of fine for forgery.

He, however, said Adodo will serve the sentence concurrently beginning from 14th February, 2023, when he was taken into custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Before the judgement, the Magistrate asked Adodo to explain to him why he would not be handed maximum sentence, and in response, the father of two children accompanied by his wife and relations said he had heart palpitation and hallucination and pleaded for leniency.

Earlier, the Defence Council, Williams Ataguba pleaded with the court to sentence the convict to a non-custodian and on the ground of his health challenges.

He also urged the court to be lenient in passing the judgement since there was no record of previous conviction found against him throughout the course of the trial as an ex-convict.

Responding, the Prosecution Counsel, A. S Oyeyemi, urged the court to give him maximum sentence since he was found guilty of the three count charges. He also informed the court that the convict had not shown any remorse since he was sentenced and therefore did not deserve mercy.

Speaking on the judgement, Oyeyemi said, ‘‘On our side we did what we should do, I do not feel bad, I do not feel good as a public servant.

‘‘I believe that will curtail the excesses of those who impersonate the office of the national youth council of Nigeria. We expected more than that sentence because the offense is 14 years imprisonment but there is nothing we can do. The court has spoken, there is nothing we can do. The damage done by the convict is not quantifiable.

‘‘Damage is not applicable in criminal jurisprudence, so there is no damage in this case, but I am convinced that the sentence alone will deter other youth from impersonating that office because as it is, Solomon Adodo is a convict.’’

‘‘On whether we are satisfied, we are not, but the judgement is discretionary, the court did not give option of fine in the case of forgery and there is nothing we can do about it’’.