...punishment tallies with offence

Human rights lawyers, including Messers Femi Falana and Bamidele Aturu, who spoke separately with our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday said the sentence was commensurate with the punishment Konduga was charged with.They added that a trial judge had the discretionary power to reduce the punishment for a particular offence if the convict pleaded guilty to the offence.Aturu said, The truth of the matter is if a man has pleaded guilty to such an offence, normally judges are more lenient and it is a discretionary matter for the judge.He was not even charged under terrorism; he was charged under intimidation.My greatest worry is how we are going about the fight against terrorism in this country.Falana said, It is a matter for the judges discretion. You have to consider if the the convict pleaded guilty and the maximum punishment he was charged with.The Director of a legal rights group, Access to Justice, Mr. Joseph Otteh said, The government needs to level with the Nigerian people what it is doing in its name and this needs to be done earnestly and now.
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