The Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced a 48-year-old man, Akanbi Abdulrahman, to one year and three months’ imprisonment for stealing a Toyota Venza valued at N5 million.

The magistrate, A. K. Shonubi, sentenced the convict after she found him guilty of stealing and obtaining by false pretence.

However, Ms Shonubi discharged and acquitted the convict on the count of conspiracy due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

The sentence will run concurrently if he fails to pay the fine of N5 million as an alternative to imprisonment.

“It will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.

Ms Shonubi also ruled that the sentence should be with hard labour.

The convict, a businessman who resided at 6, Elibel St., Abesan Estate, Abesan, Lagos, was tried for conspiracy, stealing, and obtaining by false pretence.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the offences were committed on May 31, 2018, at Block 7, Ipaja, Lagos.

Mr Innocent said the convict went to the garage of Abimbola Ajayi to buy a Toyota Venza, valued at N5 million.

The prosecutor said the convict took the complainant to a First Bank branch, where he lied to have transferred the money to his account.

The prosecutor said that based on how serious and sincere he looked, the Toyota Venza was released to him.

Mr Odugbo said the complainant did not get the alert, and all efforts to see the convict failed until he was arrested through information the police got about his whereabouts.

 The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)