A Grade I Area Court in Dei-Dei, Abuja on Monday sentenced a 48-year-old man, Solomon Alpha, to six months imprisonment for cheating a lottery house of N20,000.
The police charged Alpha with cheating and impersonation.
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He pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.
The judge, Malam Sulyman Ola, however, gave Alpha an option to pay N30,000 fine.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Olaonipekun Babajide, told the court that on Feb. 19, the complainant, Malam Sufiyan Otumale, reported the matter at the Dei-Dei Police Station.
Babajide said the convict deceived the complainant that he had money in his bank account and that after betting on football games he would pay him his money.
Babajide said the convict dishonestly played N20,000 games and intentionally refused to pay the complainant as promised.
The prosecutor added that during police investigation, the convict claimed to be an admin officer of Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
He said the convict made a confessional statement but, all efforts made to recover the money proved abortive adding that the offence contravened sections 179 and 322 of the Penal Code. (NAN)
