A Gwagwalada Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced two lovers, Mohammed Nazifi, 30, and Bilkisu Ibrahim, 25, to three months’ imprisonment each for adultery.

The police charged the lovers with a one-count charge of adultery by man and woman, to which they pleaded guilty.

Mr Nazifi pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying he was a married man with little children to care for.

Ms Ibrahim also begged the court for mercy, saying she has a three-year-old child and an aged mother who depended on her.

The magistrate, Olatunji Oladunmoye, had previously remanded the convicts so they could provide a witness that would vouch for their conduct of good character.

He finally sentenced them when they could not provide any.

Oladunmoye sentenced the lovers to 3 months imprisonment each with an option of N25,000 fine each.

The magistrate said the essence of the punishment was not to ruin or destroy the convicts but to reform them.

He added that it would also serve as a deterrent to anyone who wanted to toe the same path.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Dabo Yakubu, told the court that the complainant, Dayabe Abdullahi of Chibiri village, Kuje, Abuja, reported the matter at the Area Command, Gwagwalada, Abuja, on January 16.

Mr Yakubu said the convicts conspired and had sexual intercourse, and both confessed to the crime in their statements.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 387 and 388 of the Penal Code.

According to him, section 387 and 388 refers to a man or a woman subject to customary law where extra-marital sexual intercourse is recognised as a criminal offence.

“If the man or woman has sexual intercourse with anyone other than his spouse, he/she is guilty of adultery and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term.

“The term may extend to two years or with fine or with both,” he said.

NAN