By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja – A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a 48-year-old businessman, Abdullateef Ismailla, to six months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Ismailla, who resides at Citec Gate, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, was arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating, offences he admitted committing and begged for leniency.
The judge, Mr Maiwa Inuwa, who sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment, however, gave him N5, 000 option of fine.
Inuwa, who warned Ismailla to shun crime and be a good citizen, expressed the hope that the sentence would serve as deterrent to others.
He ordered the convict to pay N1.15 million as compensation to the nominal complainant.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs Ijeoma Ukagha, had told the court that one Hajiya Safiya Abubakar reported the matter at Gwarinpa Police Station on Feb. 17, 2016.
Ukagha said that sometime in May 2015, the complainant gave the convict her Toyota Sienna bus valued at N1,250,000 to sell and remit the money to her.
She said that the convict sold the Toyota Sienna bus and deliberately refused to hand over the money to the complainant and dishonestly converted the money to his personal use.
The prosecutor said that during police investigation, the convict confessed to committing the crime.
She said that the offences contravened Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.