Nigerians sentenced to 8 years imprisonment
October 28, 2015 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma & Hawa Amara
Justice Alusine Sesay of the Freetown High Court yesterday sentenced two Nigerians to eight years each in prison after the duo pleaded guilty to two count charges of unlawful possession of small arms and house breaking equipment.
The Judge also ordered the deportation of the convicts to Nigeria after the completion of their jail terms.
Paul Evechuku and Prince Duru Kenneth were in court to answer to two count charges of possessing small arms without licenses, as well as possessing a house breaking implement, to wit a giant cuter.
The prosecution had alleged that on January 3, 2014 in Freetown, the accused persons were found with one Galil gun with serial No.99112885 and one giant cuter used for house breaking.
In his plea of mitigation, the first accused Paul Evechuku told the court that he is 28 years old, and that he is a businessman, thus asking the court to pardon him.
Also, the second accused, Prince Duru Kenneth, said he is 26 years old and that he came to Sierra Leone in the year 2013. He also pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgment, Justice Sesay said he has considered the plea of mitigation from the accused persons, as well as the seriousness of the offence for which they were before the court.
“Since you have pleaded guilty as charged, the first accused is hereby sentenced to four years imprisonment on count one and four years on count two; and the same goes for the second accused,” he ruled. “I further order that after the accused persons have completed their jail terms, they should be deported back to their country.”