A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday sentenced a 45-year-old man, Kingsley James, to 30 months’ imprisonment for N5.5 million fraud.
The convict was tried on a two-count charge of theft and obtaining money by false pretenses after he pleaded guilty.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel sentenced James to 15 months’ imprisonment on each of the two counts of the charge, with an option of a N100,000 fine.
He ruled that the sentences should run concurrently.
Emmanuel also ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N5.5 million to the complainant, Mr. David Zamani.
He also ordered that in the event that the convict fails to restitute the complainant, he shall serve an additional two years in prison.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offenses sometime on Feb. 15, 2021, about 2:00 p.m., at Barnawa, Kaduna.
Leo said that the defendant collected the sum of N5.5 million from the complainant under the pretense of selling him an uncompleted bungalow building.
The prosecutor said that the defendant did not sell the building to the complainant but converted the money to his personal use.
He said the offences contravened Sections 217 and 287 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
(NAN)
