Village Head Borrows for Chieftancy Stool, Jailed over Debt

An Adamawa Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a village head, Gumni Ilihu, of Gugu village, Banjiram District, in the Guyuk Local Government Area of the state, to eight-year imprisonment for criminal breach of trust, intimidation and mischief.

A primary school teacher, Roel Sunaka, 47, had dragged Ilihu before the court over his refusal to pay for the 13 sheep he sold to the chief.

Sunaka, who is the zonal supervisor, Bobini Primary School, Guyuk Local Education Authority, said after Ilihu used the proceeds of his livestock to secure a chieftaincy stool, he refused to pay him but instead threatened to drive him out of the community.

While ruling on the case, Magistrate Hyellamada Hyellandendu found the defendant guilty of criminal breach of trust.

Hyellandendu said, “For criminal breach of trust, you Chief Gumni Ilihu, is to be sentenced to five-year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine, one-year imprisonment for criminal intimidation with an option of N25,000 fine, and two years jail term for mischief with an option of fine of N50,000.”

The magistrate said the jail terms would run concurrently.

Speaking to journalists about the case, Sunaka said, “I approached the court because Gumni (Ilihu) sold 13 of my goats in 2013 and used the proceeds to secure an appointment as village head, a chieftaincy stool known as the Sarki Gugu. All entreaties to get him to repay me the money fell on deaf ears.

“On several occasions, after he became the village head, he threatened to make me leave the village if I continued to disturb him about the repayment for my livestock which I gave to him.”