Tricyclist jailed 12 months for swindling passenger

A Dei-Dei Grade I Area Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced a 27-year-old tricycle rider, Abdullahi Musa, to 12 months imprisonment for swindling his passenger of N350,000.

Musa, who lives in Ushaffa Abuja, pleaded guilty to criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Area Court judge, Malam Sulyman Ola, gave Musa an option of N50,000 fine.

Ola ordered the convict to pay N350,000 in damages to the complainant.

Musa had earlier begged the court for leniency.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, had told the court that on August 1, the complainant, Kabiru Abdullahi of Kabusa Abuja, reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station.

Ogada said that on July 23, the complainant bought a used Toyota car from the convict and paid N350, 000 into his first Bank account.

He told the court that the convict collected the money from the complainant, absconded and refused to deliver the car.

The prosecutor added that during police investigation, the convict made a confessional statement.

The police discovered that the said car doesn’t belong to the convict and all efforts made to recover the money failed but two tricycles were recovered from him.

Ogada said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.