An Upper Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, has sentenced one Maikano Maigari to six months in the correctional centre for criminal breach of trust.

Mr Maigari, who lives in Kaduna state, was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to criminal breach of trust and cheating.

He, however, begged the court for leniency.

The judge, Yahaya Sheshi granted Mr Maigari an option to pay a fine of N20,000 in lieu of the term in prison.

Ms Sheshi also ordered Mr Maigari to pay the complainant, Elizabeth Victor, a widow, the sum of N4,203,000 as compensation.

The judge added that if Mr Maigari failed to pay the compensation, he would serve additional 12 months in prison.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Babajide Olanipekun, told the court that the complainant wrote a petition on the matter to the police area command, Kubwa on May 5.

Mr Olanipekun said the complainant’s late husband stood as surety for a N5.4 million loan Mr Maigari took from Agricultural Global Enterprises in June 2021.

He said the complainant’s husband gave his house document to the said company as collateral and Mr Maigari promised to pay back in six months but failed to do so.

The prosecution counsel said Mr Maigari’s act caused the complainant’s family great trauma, adding that he later paid N1.2 million only to the family.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)