A Magistrate Court in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has issued a verdict sentencing Professor Abdulfattah A. Aboaba from the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to two years in custody.
This decision stems from a charge of criminal intimidation, falling under Section 397 of the Penal Code.
The judgement, disclosed to the press in Maiduguri on Friday, outlined that the Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, received a complaint letter on November 3, 2021, from Professor Shehu Mustapha Liberty.
The letter accused Professor Aboaba of intimidation and threats to life, prompting an investigation and subsequent trial in the Magistrate Court.
Throughout the trial, both the Prosecution and Defence presented witnesses who testified before the trial judge.
The Defence Counsel was granted the opportunity to cross-examine all prosecution witnesses to verify the truthfulness of the accusations.
Considering the plea made by the Defence Counsel, emphasizing that the Convict was a first-time offender with a commendable character, Senior Magistrate Grade 1 (one) Alhaji Saleh Isa, who presided over the case, decided to be lenient.
The sentence handed down to the accused is two years in custody, with an alternative option to pay a fine of N10,000 in default.
The origin of the dispute between Professor Abdulfattah A. Aboaba and Professor Shehu Mustapha Liberty dates back to October 29, 2021, during an Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNIMAID Congress Meeting, where a misunderstanding occurred and eventually led to legal proceedings.
