By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz, Regional Correspondent
A High Court IV sitting in Yola, has on Monday convicted and sentence former executive secretary of Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bishop Luscious Jinga Mayo as well as the former cashier of the board Rhoda Sampson to 7 years imprisonment without option of fine.
According to the court, all the offenses were carried out between August to December 2016 when the first respondent held sway as the boss of the christian pilgrims welfare board.
Delivering the judgement brought by EFCC against Dr. Luscious Jinga Mayo and three others, Justice Danladi Mohammed convicted and sentenced the first and the fourth dependents to seven years imprisonment without option of fine.
He said the judgement was passed after diligent scrutiny and substantial evidence by 11 witnesses.
The EFCC has initially brought 9 count charges against the quartet but the suit was later amended to 10 count charges bothering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, inflation, misappropriation, forgery, diversion of funds and non declaration of assets.
The judge went ahead to discharge and acquit the second and third respondents respectively as he could not establish any case of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence against them.
On count 3 and 4, Justice Mohammed sentenced the ex-executive secretary to 7 years each without an option of fine.
On count 5 the first dependent was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine while on count 8 and 9 he was sentenced to two years imprisonment or an option of 100,000 fine while on count 10, the first dependent was sentenced to five year imprisonment without option of fine.
However, on count two the two convicts are to refund the sum of N84,948,600 while on count 3 the first dependent will refund N50,000 deposit made by each of the christian pilgrims who made upgraded their BTA from $500 to $750 as can be seen from the board’s statement amounting to the sum of N26,348,750.
On count four the first respondent will return the sum of N15,690,000 to Adamawa State government while on count 6 he is to refund N2,540,760 to four Christian pilgrims who deposited the funds to enable them perform the spiritual exercise but unfortunately the monies were diverted by the ex-executive secretary.
The judge also demands the first respondent to return the sum of N1.5m being the balance of N3.5m meant for medical bill of the pilgrims.
However going by the declaration of the judge, all the two convicts will serve only 7 year jail term each as the sentences are to run concurrently.
Commenting before justice Danladi Mohammed delivered his sentence, both counsels for the defendants Livinus Ayuba and U.D Silas urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Urging for mercy for his client, counsel to the first respondent Ayuba said his client needs prerogative of mercy in consideration of the fact that he is currently serving a jail term and also has family to cater for.
On his part, counsel to the 4th dependent, Silas urged the court to treat his client with mercy as she is currently a nursing mother.
But countering their stance, the prosecuting counsel, Ahmed Muntaka said in view of the fact that the first dependent is not a first offender such mercies should not be extended to him.
He also urged the court to order the first dependent to refund all the public and private monies he siphoned so that the victims can be compensated
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