A Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna on Thursday sentenced a 40-year-old farmer, Nathan Monday, to four years in prison for defrauding a buyer of N5 million in a fraudulent land deal.
Presiding Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel delivered the judgment after the defendant pleaded guilty to obtaining money under false pretence from the complainant, Mr. Christopher Aaron.
Emmanuel ruled that the prosecution had proven the charge of fraud beyond reasonable doubt. He sentenced Monday to four years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.
The court also ordered the defendant to pay restitution of N5 million to the victim. Magistrate Emmanuel directed that all funds in Monday’s bank accounts be used to offset the amount. If insufficient, the court authorized the sale of the defendant’s movable and immovable assets, either jointly or individually, to recover the balance.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant had fraudulently presented himself as the rightful owner of a property located in Ungwan Maigero, Kaduna State, and sold it to the complainant.
However, when the complainant attempted to take possession of the land, he discovered it was already being developed by another individual to whom it had previously been sold.
Leo noted that all efforts by the complainant to recover his money had failed. He stated that the defendant’s actions contravened Section 244 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017.
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