A former Acting Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, popularly called Auxiliary, has sentenced to six years imprisonment for conspiracy to murder.
Auxiliary was sentenced by Justice Eni Esan of Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan. Also jailed were Saidi Kareem, Abu Kareem and Kazeem Kayode.
The 5th accused person, Taiwo Tijani, who was standing trial with the jailed persons, is already dead.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice Esan noted that Auxiliary and others were sentenced for conspiracy to murder even though they were also tried for murder.
The judge ruled that the prosecuting counsel failed in his bid to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt over the allegations of murder.
Counsel for the sentenced NURTW members, Olalekan Ojo and Adeleke Bakare, begged the judge for lighter sentence and to consider the status of Auxiliary and others as breadwinners in their various families with aged parents and other dependents.
Ojo claimed that they had already been punished having spent two years in jail since the trial began.
Following the judgement of 6 years imprisonment, Mr. Ojo said they would go to Appeal Court.