A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Jos has handed a nine-month prison sentence a 22-year-old mechanic, Mustapha Saad, for misappropriating N80,000 entrusted to him.
The ruling, delivered by Magistrate Shawomi Bokkos, followed Saad’s guilty plea to theft charges brought against him in the court.
During his trial, the 22-year-old mechanic admitted to the misappropriating the funds kept under his care after being arraigned by the law enforcement agency.
In response to Saad’s plea, the prosecuting counsel, Ijuptil Thiawar, informed the court of the charges and called for the commencement of trial in accordance with due process.
Earlier, Thiawar told the court that the matter was reported on March 20 at the ‘C’ Division Police Station in Jos, while noting that Saad was given N80,000 to safeguard but used the funds for personal expenses instead.
Following the evidence tendered against him, Magistrate Bokkos, who presided over the case, sentenced Saad to nine months in prison, with an option of paying a ₦20,000 fine as an alternative to serving the jail term.
In addition, the court ordered Saad to pay N90,000 as restitution to the complainant, Auwal Jibrin, with failure to do so resulting in an additional six months behind bars.
