An Upper Area Court, Zuba, Abuja on Monday sentenced a 20-year- old trader, Ibrahim Rabilu, to 12 months imprisonment for cheating.

The police charged Rabilu with cheating.

The Area Court judge, Gambo Garuba, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N10,000.

The judge also ordered the convict to pay N24,000 as compensation to the complainant.

The convict had earlier pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.

Garuba said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict wasted the time of the court.

He also warned the convict to be of good behavior.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Chinedu Ogada, told the court that on June 28 the complainant, Mustapha Lawali of Magoroba Estate Galadima, Abuja, reported the matter at the Galadima Camp Police Station.

Ogada said the convict collected the complainant’s Techno Spark II cell phone valued at N22,000 and N400 cash.

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He told the court that after the convict collected the complainant’s cell phone and money, he absconded and dishonestly converted the items to his personal use.

The prosecutor added that during the police investigation, the convict made a confessional statement, and all efforts made to recover the money and phone failed.

Ogada said the offense contravened the Penal Code.