Panel beater jailed for criminal breach of trust

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced a 25-year-old panel beater, Abdullahi Muazu, to four months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave the convict an option to pay N10,000 fine.

He also ordered Muazu to pay N48,000 as compensation to the complainant.


According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Sadiq advised the convict to desist from committing crimes, adding that the sentence would serve as deterrent to others.

Muaza, who resides at Dei-dei Apian-way, Abuja, was convicted on a two-count charge.

The convict, who pleaded guilty to the offences, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

The Prosecutor, Florence Avhioboh, had told the court that one Samuel Uzoma of Karmo, reported the matter at the Gwa-gwa Police Station, Abuja, on Sept. 29.

Avhioboh said that the complainant sometime in June 2017, paid the convict N10,000 to repair damaged panels and spray his Honda Academy car.

“With an agreement to finish the work in two days, but the convict criminally took the car from his workshop to an unknown place, without the consent of the complainant,’’ she said.

Avhioboh said the convict dropped the car along Kaduna Road, sold the car battery valued at N20,000 and the car stereo worth N18,000.

She said the car was recovered through the convict’s apprentice.

She said during police investigation, the convict confessed to the crime.

The prosecutor said the offences were punishable under Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

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