A sales representative identified as Abdulkarim Shuaib has been arraigned in an Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja for allegedly defrauding his employer of N385,000. The 22-year-old defendant who resides in Sauka village in Abuja was charged with criminal breach of trust and theft by a servant.
The defendant’s employer, Mr Ikenna Orisakwe of Kuje Abuja, reported the matter to the police on May 10th. According to the prosecution counsel, Abdullahi Tanko, the complainant had employed Shuaib in December 2022 and entrusted his gas refilling business to him to manage. However, the defendant, while operating the business, deceived the complainant with a fake credit alert that he had credited the money into his account, which turned out to be false.
Tanko noted that the complainant later discovered that Shuaib had dishonestly converted the sum of N385,000 for his own personal use, which is a violation of the provisions of Sections 312 and 289 of the Penal Code.
Although the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges, the judge, Malam Abdullahi Abdulkarim, who did not convict him after his guilty plea, stated that it was expedient to go into a full trial to determine the extent of the damage caused.
Abdulkarim granted the defendant bail in the sum of N300,000 with one reasonable surety in like sum and ordered that the surety resides within the court’s jurisdiction. The case was then adjourned until May 31st for a hearing.
