A 21-year-old student, Adakole Peter, has been sentenced to one year in jail by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada for defrauding a Chinese woman of $50.
The court, presided over by Justice Aliyu Shafa, found Peter guilty of impersonation and falsely claiming to be a military officer, charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During the proceedings, Peter pleaded guilty and appealed to the judge for leniency.
Justice Shafa, in addition to the one-year jail term, provided Peter with the option of paying a fine of N150,000.
In his plea for mercy, Peter expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “I have repented and realized my mistakes, I plead with the court to temper justice with mercy.”
Bridget Abang, Peter’s defense counsel, urged the court to consider his remorsefulness and young age, emphasizing that he was a first-time offender.
In delivering the judgement, Justice Shafa ordered Peter to sign an affidavit of good behaviour.
He also instructed that the Redmi mobile phone used in the commission of the crime be sold, with the proceeds deposited into the Federal Government’s account through the EFCC.
Additionally, the $50 obtained from the fraudulent act was directed to be remitted to the Federal Government’s account.
