Justice Z. Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, on Tuesday sentenced a fake agent, Godwin Francis, to one year imprisonment for defrauding a businesswoman of N600,000.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had charged Francis with fraud.

Justice Abubakar sentenced Francis, following his guilty plea.

The judge however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N250,000 and warned him to desist from committing crime.

Earlier the EFCC counsel, P. Onyeneho told the court that Francis was arrested on June 28, in Enugu state by the operatives of the EFCC zonal office, following a report by the Special Operation Section of the commission.

According to him, sometime in February 2019, the convict defrauded a businesswomen, Linda Paul, of N600,000 by pretending to be a land agent.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 307 of the Kaduna State Penal Law.

Counsel to the defendant, A. Mohammed, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Mohammed said that his client does not have a criminal record.

(NAN)