Man jailed 12 months for selling liquor

A Minna Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday sentenced one Baba Abuja to 12 months imprisonment for contravening the Sharia law.

Baba Abuja was arrested and charged before Chief Magistrate Abdullahi Usman for selling alcohol in a prohibited area of Paiko town.

According to the Sharia law, which came into effect in the state in 2002, the sale of alcohol in local council headquarters is illegal without obtaining the required permit. However, Usman gave the convict an option of N200,000 fine.

According to the prosecution, the arrest was based on a petition by some residents of Paiko, which was addressed to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, indicating that the sale and consumption of alcohol in the town had constituted a serious security threat to the people.

The prosecution said the governor directed the chairman of the liquor board, Yahaya Halidu, a barrister, to commence investigation on the petition, which led to the arrest of the convict.

When the charge was read, Baba Abuja admitted being guilty and was summarily tried. Items recovered from the suspects and tendered as exhibits included cartons of beer and local gins.

In the same court, a female liquor vendor, Asabe Solomon, was sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine for the sale of alcohol in Gbadna village of Niger State.

She pleaded guilty to the charge of selling locally brewed alcohol, popularly called Burukutu, without license.

She urged the court to consider her age and give her a light sentence, while promising to stop the business.