A 22-year-old auto repairer, Mustapha Saad, was on Monday handed a nine-month prison sentence by a Magistrates’ Court in Jos after confessing to misusing funds placed in his custody.
Presiding magistrate Shawomi Bokkos delivered a swift ruling following Saad’s guilty plea.
The court granted him an alternative option of paying a N20,000 fine in place of the first three months of incarceration.
The court further mandated that Saad compensate the complainant, Auwal Jibrin, with the sum of N90,000. Should he fail to comply, he faces an extra six months in prison.
According to police prosecutor Ijuptil Thiawar, the incident was brought to the attention of authorities at the ‘C’ Division Police Station in Jos on March 20.
Thiawar explained that the defendant had been entrusted with N80,000 but used the money for his own benefit instead of safeguarding it.