An Adamawa State businessman, Ali Yakubu Numan, has bagged a two-and-a-half-year jail term for labelling Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri ‘Father of all thieves.’

WuzupNigeria reported two days ago that Numan was remanded in prison custody by the Attorney General of Adamawa State for defamation.

He was accused of described Governor Fintiri as ‘A thief and father of all thieves,’ in multiple Facebook posts written in Fulfulde and Hausa languages on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 20th and 29th July 2021.

The PUNCH reports that Numan was convicted and sentenced on Wednesday by Yola Chief Magistrate Court II, presided over by Magistrate Japhet Basaniw who found him guilty of the two charges brought against him by the prosecution.

Numan was sentenced to a two-year jail term with an option of N50,000 fine for using abusive language against Fintiri. He was also sentenced to six-month imprisonment without the option of a fine for disturbance of public peace.

Earlier, counsels to the complainant, A. M. Iliyasu and M.A. Adamu, had called two witnesses who testified in court and tendered confessional statements in both English and Hausa languages respectively, among other exhibits.

On his part, counsel to the defendant and now convict, R. N. Agav, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, informing the court that his client was a first-time offender