A Magistrates’ Court sitting at Wuse Zone Six, Abuja, has sentenced a 44-year-old businessman, Mahmud Suleiman, to six months imprisonment for threatening his business partner’s life.

The Magistrate, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, however, gave Suleiman an option of N30, 000 fine.

Ibrahim handed down the sentence, Tuesday, after Sulieman pleaded guilty to the crime and prayed for leniency:

“I plead the court to temper justice with mercy.

” I regret my action because what happened was a misunderstanding between I and the complainant,” he had told the court.

In his judgment, the magistrate noted that the convict was a first-time offender and did not waste the time of the court by admitting guilt.

Ibrahim hoped that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.

Before the ruling, the prosecutor, ASP Peter Ejike, told the court that a petition was received at the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, Abuja, on March 1, through the complainant, Mr Mohammed Yunusa.

Ejike told the court that the defendant and the complainant were business partners before a disagreement ensued while carrying out a project.

The prosecutor said that the complainant lost confidence in the defendant and decided to disengage him from the project.

He said the defendant lost his temper and began to threaten the complainant’s life and his family members’.

Upon police interrogation, Ejike said the defendant admitted committing the crime, contrary to Section 397 of the Penal Code.