Fred Ayokhai, a lecturer at the Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), has been jailed for teaming up with his children to beat up a female student, Blessing Mathias.
Ayokhai was convicted by A High Court sitting in Nasarawa State.
He was seen in a viral video with his children brutally attacking a teenager who beat his daughter over a man. Last year, Ayokhai who allegedly works with the History and International Relations department of the institution, stripped their victim, Blessing Mathias n*ked in the bush, rained invectives at her, beat her with sticks and abandoned her.
The state police command swung into action, arrested the accused persons and arraigned them before the court. The lecturer was charged with criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, abduction and voluntarily causing grave harm without provocation and assault. Emmanuella, Bob-Praise, and Saint-Dan, all children of Ayokhai, were joined in the case as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants.
Although the defendants had pleaded not guilty during the prosecution, AU Idris, their counsel, approached the court with an offer for a plea bargain.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, April 20, the presiding judge, Solomon Ayenajeh, convicted the lecturer and sentenced him to six months in jail for criminal conspiracy and another six months for assault. The judge ruled that the charges are to run concurrently and that the six months period in which Ayokhai has been in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) will be counted.
Ruling on the offence of the children, the judge said they will spend six months on probation considering their ages. The judge said they will be punished with keeping the premises of the Nasarawa State High Court clean during their sentence.
The judge also ordered that the third defendant, Bob-Praise, shave his dreadlocks.
In his speech, Ayokhai thanked the judge and parties in the matter for the consideration and the leniency accorded him. He told the court that he has taken steps to recompense the victim as part of the plea bargain arrangement.
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Lecturer Jailed for Assaulting Female Student Who Fought With His Daughter Over A Man