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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a legal practitioner, Umar Hussaini, to seven years imprisonment with an option of fine.
Hussaini was a private lawyer to the late Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, who died in February 2021 while facing prosecution.
Dikko, Hussaini, and former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Garba Makarfi were all accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Hussaini was charged with two counts, and on Wednesday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found him guilty of both counts. The charge is identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/74/2020.
The offender implored the court to balance justice with mercy because he has four wives, each of whom has children, as well as aging parents.
His attorney, Naziru Umar, pleaded with the court to give the owner of Capital Legal the option of a fine as part of his sentence.
Olubunmi Ikupolati, an attorney for the ICPC, urged the court to find Hussaini guilty and order him to repay the money he had stolen.
Umar disagreed, claiming that since his client is also involved in a civil case before the FCT High Court, doing so would amount to double jeopardy.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Ojukwu ordered a seven years jail term on each count with an option of N50 million fine on each of the two counts.
Ojukwu also ordered Hussaini to pay N100 million as compensation to the victims of the crime, Yemi Obadeyi and Cambial Limited.
The convict will remain in prison pending the fulfillment of the terms of fine.