A Grade 1 Area Court, Kado, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced a man, Yaro Abu, 29, to seven months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Abu, who is a resident of Kado village, was arraigned on a two-count charge of breach of trust and cheating.

The presiding judge, Alhaji Ahmed Ado, however, gave him an option of fine to pay the sum of N7, 000.

He also ordered him to pay the sum of N8, 000 to the nominal complainant, as compensation.

Ado warned him to desist from committing crimes, saying that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to other would be offenders.

Before the judgment was delivered, Abu, who had pleaded guilty to the charge, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, blaming the economic recession for his action.

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Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Judith Obatomi, told the court that one Umaru Elijah, of the same address with the convict, reported the matter at the Kado police station on July 10.

Obatomi said that the complainant on June 8, contracted the convict to build a batcher for him at Kado village and he charged him N8,000 out of which N6, 500 was given in advance.

After collecting the money, he escaped to an unknown destination until he was seen and arrested in the area on July 10.

Obatomi said during the police investigation, all efforts made for him to refund the money proved abortive.

The offence is punishable under Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code. (NAN)