Man sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for failing to pay for recharge cards

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had dragged Umar before Justice A.A Bello on a one count charge bordering on cheating.

In the charge filed by the EFCC, the convict was reported to have purchased the N3.7 million worth of MTN airtime and refused to pay for it since 2019.

According to the EFCC, Umar bought the airtime from one Abba, who’s said to be his acquaintance.

“That you, Hamisu Umar (M), sometime in 2019 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, deceived one Abubakar Abba to deliver to you MTN recharge cards valued at N 3, 749,950.00 ( Three Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira) only on credit, which you dishonestly refused to pay back, and thereby committed cheating, an offence contrary to Section 306 (a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 307 of the same Law,” the charge read.

The defendant, however, pleaded guilty to the cheating charge, which instigated the prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye, to ask the court to convict him according to the law.

Having heard the case, Justice Bello, therefore, ruled that Umar should serve a 10 years prison sentence. Although with an option of N200,000 fine.

The judge also ordered the convict to refund his credit by all means.