By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja – A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on
Tuesday sentenced 32-year old mechanic, Ebuka Nwoke, to two months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Nwoke, of Chika village, Airport Road, Abuja, was sentenced on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating.
The judge, Alhaji Inuwa Maiwada, however, gave Nwoke an option of N3,000 fine, and also ordered him to pay N50, 000 as compensation to the complainant.
Maiwada said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the rigour of protracted prosecution, by pleading guilty.
The prosecutor, Mrs Ijeoma Ukagha, had told the court that on Jan. 19, one Egwu Shedrach of Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station.
Ijeoma said that sometime in November 2018, the complainant gave the convict a car air conditioner to repair.
She told the court that the convict charged N84, 000 to repair the
air conditioner, and the money was paid into his bank account.
The prosecutor said that after the convict collected the money, he
absconded and dishonestly converted the amount to his personal use and
refused to repair the air conditioner.
The prosecutor added that during police investigation, Nwoke made a
confessional statement and all efforts made to recover the money proved
abortive.