Jail term of 6 months for imposter soldier

Lawal Babangida, 31, was given a six-month prison sentence by a Grade I Area Court in Dei-Dei, Abuja on Thursday for pretending to be a military officer.

Babangida, an Abuja resident of Tungamaji village, was accused by the court of extortion, criminal intimidation, and impersonation.

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Nonetheless, the convicted party entered a guilty plea and requested mercy from the court.

“I beg your pardon, my lord; please have mercy on me,” I promise not to commit a crime ever again, Babangida declared.

After the defendant served his sentence, Area Court Judge Saminu Suleiman offered him the choice of an N6,000 fine and issued a warning to not commit another crime.

The prosecution, Mr. Chinedu Ogada, had earlier told the court that the complaint, Usman Zaiyanu, of Tomato Junction Zuba Abuja, had reported the case to the Zuba Police Station on November 11.

Ogade reported that the convict approached the complainant near Zuba Tomato Junction at approximately 9:30 p.m. on the same date and identified himself as a military officer.

The prosecutor informed the court that the defendant had made confessional remarks during police inquiries, that is, had criminally intimidated the complainant and taken his cell phone and N10,000 in cash.

He claimed that the offence was against the Penal Code’s Sections 132, 321, and 292.