Court convicts mining company, 2 others in Niger State

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

A Magistrate Court sitting in Minna has convicted a mining company and sentenced two other persons to two years imprisonment each for engaging in cheating by impersonation and criminal conspiracy, criminal misappropriation and mischief.
The company identified as Zumunta Marketing and Construction Company Limited, represented by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Alhaji Tijajani Sarki Abdullahi.
Others are Musa Umar and Adamu Magaji both from Zumba village in Shiroro Local Government Area.
They were docked on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, cheating by personation, criminal misappropriation and mischief, contrary to Sections 97, 324, 309 and 327 of the Penal Code.
The complainant, Commissioner of Police, Niger state told the court that complaint was received from Moses Makeri, Sokoto Muhammadu and Ibrahim Makeri that the land of the subject matter where the convicts mined ‘woframites’ is located at Patuko village near Zumba in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.
In his ruling, Magistrate Murtala M.B. Ibrahim sentenced the men to two years imprisonment or to pay a fine of N60,000 each.
They were also ordered to pay the sum of N50,000 as compensation to the Nominal Complaints and in default of payment they are to serve three months without option of fine.
On the offense of criminal conspiracy each convict was sentenced to pay N10,000 and in default serve 6 months imprisonment; on cheating by personation N20,000 or two years imprisonment.
Other sentences are one year imprisonment or N10,000 for criminal misappropriation and N20,000 or one year imprisonment for the offence of mischief.