Abuja panel beater jailed 3 years for stealing customer’s car

A Dei-dei Grade I Area Court in Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a 40-year-old panel beater, Adebo John, to three years in prison for stealing his customer’s car.

The defendant, who was convicted and sentenced after pleading guilty, begged the court for leniency.

The judge, Saminu Suleiman, gave John N300,000 option of fine and warned him to desist from committing crimes and be of good behaviour.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, Igwe Ukoha, reported the matter at Zuba Police Station.

Ogada said the complainant gave John his vehicle to panel beat and paint but instead he took the vehicle to Kaduna State to sell.

The prosecution said John got arrested by a team of surveillance operatives of the Kaduna Police Command, adding that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the Penal Code.

Section 287 states that whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine or with both.