A Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced a 27-year-old student, Aonover Iorwuese, to four months imprisonment for cheating.
Mr Iorwuese of Gboko, Benue, was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty to a two-count charge of cheating and theft.
He begged for leniency, saying that he made a mistake and would not repeat it.
The judge, Mohammed Marafa, however, gave him an option of N40, 000 fine, and warned him to desist from committing crime and be of good behaviour.
The prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, had told the court that one Mary Abraham of NEPA Road, Kubwa, Abuja, reported the matter at Kubwa Police Station on January 13.
“The complainant went to Ignobis Hotel, Kubwa, to withdraw money from ATM point and met Iorwuese on the said date.
“Iorwuese offered to help the complainant withdraw money from the ATM, but stole the card, and told the woman that her ATM card was trapped in the machine.
“When Iorwuese later attempted to withdraw money from the complainant’s account without her knowledge, he got arrested and had 30 pieces of ATM cards in his possession,’’ Olanikpekun said.
The prosecutor said the ATM cards belonged to 30 different people from different banks.
He said the ATM cards were recovered from Iorwuese by the police, adding that the offences contravened Sections 79, 322 and 287 of the Penal Code.
NAN
