FOUR NIGERIAN PLAYERS JAILED FOR ILLEGAL STAY IN TANZANIA.

The quartet have been sentenced to six-month jail terms after failure to pay a fine for over staying in the east African country

Nigerian footballers Andrew Okoro (23), Chika Ulugbe Odia (25), Chikere Messaiah (22) and Onyenkwu Daniel (22) have been sentenced to six-month jail terms after failure to pay a fine imposed on them by the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam for illegal stay in Tanzania on Monday, Goal has learned.


They were convicted of the offence on their own plea of guilt after arraignment before Magistrates Gabrual Mirumbe and Frank Moshi.

Magistrate Moshi had given Okoro and Odia an alternative sentence of paying 100,000 shillings (9902 Naira) each or go to jail for six months in default of paying the fine, while Magistrate Mirumbe had sentenced Messaiah and Onyenkwu to either pay 50,000 shillings (4951.45 Naira) each or imprisoned for six months in case of failure to pay the fine.

The prosecution, led by an officer with Immigration Department, Patrick Ngayomela, had alleged that the four committed the offence on May 9, this year, in the city. 

Ngayomela alleged that Okoro and Messaiah came to Tanzania for trials with Ashanti United, but failed to sail through and were not recruited, while Odia had played for Toto African Football Club in the last season and Onyenkwu had come for trials with Coastal Union, but his performance was not impressive.