Client defrauded of N1.1m, businessman receives 17-month jail term

Isa’ic Onah, a 39-year-old businessman, was sentenced to 17 months in prison by a Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Friday for cheating his customer out of N1.1 million.

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Onah of Tekan Estate in Masaka, Nasarawa State, was found guilty on two counts of deceit and breach of trust and was sentenced accordingly.

However, Area Court Judge Aliyu Kagarko ordered the defendant to pay N1,150,000 as compensation to the plaintiff in addition to offering him the option of an N60,000 fine.

According to Kagarko, the penalty would have been more severe had the guilty party not spared the court the hardships of a drawn-out legal proceeding.

Additionally, he cautioned the prisoner to behave well.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Onah had previously entered a guilty plea and asked the judge for forgiveness.

The complainant, Mr. Analife Onyekachi of Wuye, Abuja, reported the case to the Durumi Police Station on January 15, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Olisaemeka Okeke, who testified in court.

According to Okeke, the complainant stated that on January 5, the prisoner tricked him into giving him N1,150, 000 while posing as a car salesman.

According to him, the offender stole the money and used it for his own purposes after deceiving the complainant into believing he would help him purchase a Honda Accord.

The prosecutor went on to say that the prisoner had made a confessional statement during the police inquiry and that all attempts to retrieve the money had failed.

According to Okeke, the offences violate Penal Code Sections 312 and 322.