A Zuba Upper Area Court in Abuja on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old driver, Ibrahim Abubakar, to 24 months imprisonment for absconding with his employer’s car
Justice Gambo Garba found the defendant, who resides at Dei-dei, Abuja, guilty of breach of trust and cheating.
Garba gave the convict an option to pay N50,000 fine.
The Judge further ordered the convict to return the stolen car to the owner or pay N800,000, for the car.
He held that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had allowed the court experience a protracted trial and admonished him to be of good behaviour in the future.
The defendant had earlier pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.
He confessed that he sold the car in Kastina for N130, 000 to sponsor his trip to Libya by road.
”I gave the money including to someone who promised to assist me travel to Libya.
”The man ran away with my N200,000. Since then I don’t have anything doing, I am so sorry sir”, he pleaded.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Chinedu Ogada told the court that the complainant, Usman Idris of Efab Estate, Dawaki, Abuja, on Aug. 28, reported the matter at the Zuba Police Station.
Ogada said that sometime in October 2018 the complainant entrusted his Golf III to the defendant for commercial purpose to remit N2,500 daily.
He however, told the court that the defendant criminally absconded with the car, dishonestly sold it and converted the money to his personal use.
Ogada said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code. (NAN)
