A Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri Borno State has sentenced the Proprietress of Dala Standard Secondary School Josephine Udeh for squandering the West African Examination Council (WAEC) registration fees of 284 students of the school.
“Josephine Udeh being the director of Dala Standard Secondary School, Maiduguri, sometime between 2017 and 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did dishonestly misappropriate the sum of N5,059,000 (Five Million and Fifty-nine Thousand Naira) only being monies meant for 2017/2018 WAEC registration fees for 284 students of the said Dala Standard Secondary School, Maiduguri and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law cap 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law,” Justice Aisha Kumaliya said in court on Wednesday 31st July,2019.
Udeh had initially pleaded not guilty upon her first arraignment on Wednesday, April 24, but during the course of the trial, the prosecution presented 10 witnesses and 10 exhibits which made her plead for mercy.
At the resume of the trial on Wednesday, She pleaded guilty to the amended charge in line with the plea bargain agreement she opted for.
Following her guilty plea, the prosecution counsel prayed the court to convict her as charged.
Justice Kumaliya pronounced her guilty as charged with a fine of N150, 000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) and to spend one year in prison custody in default of the payment of the fine
The court was right in handling Udeh’s case.