Car dealer jailed one year for N2.8m fraud

Justice M.T.M. Aliyu of the Kaduna High Court on Thursday sentenced car dealer, Barau Mukthar, to one year imprisonment for N2.8 million fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Office charged Muktar with fraud.

Justice Aliyu sentenced Mukthar following a guilty plea he entered and begged for leniency.

He, however, gave the convict an option to pay N200, 000 fine and ordered him to restitute N2.8 million to the complainant, Mr. Wasiu Kamal.

Aliyu further ordered that if the convict failed to restitute the money, he will serve additional one year prison term.

The Prosecution Counsel, P. C. Onyeneho, told the court that sometime in 2018, the convict fraudulently collected N2.8 million from the complainant to buy a Toyota Corolla from the U.S.

Onyeneho said that after collecting the money, the convict diverted the said sum to his personal use.

The prosecution said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 306 of the Penal code of Kaduna State, 2017.

The defence counsel, Ahmed Garba, pleaded with court to temper justice with mercy.

He stated that the defendant was a first-time offender, who was remorseful and did not waste the time of the court.