TheCable

A federal capital territory (FCT)  high court on Monday ordered one Innocent Destiny to wash Mpape motor park toilets for 60 days for attempting to cheat clients on Wechat, a messaging application.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Destiny with attempted cheating by passing himself off as one Kim Webber.

Ijeabalum Diribe, the prosecuting counsel, said Destiny fraudulently induced male clients on Wechat in order for them to part with their money, an offence she said contravenes the provisions of Section 322 of the penal code.

Diribe urged the court to sentence and convict Destiny in line with the terms of the plea bargain he entered on June 22 which provides that upon conviction, the defendant should pay a fine of N100, 000 or spend one month in prison.

Holy Nuhu, the defence counsel, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the defendant is young and a first time offender with no criminal record.

Delivering judgement on the case, Kezziah Ogbonnaya, the presiding judge, said the court had been enjoined to give non-custodial sentencing to help with the decongestion of the prisons.

He subsequently ruled that the defendant washes the toilets for 60 days.

The judge ordered the prison officers to provide a register for Destiny to sign in daily for the sentence period after which he would be free to go home.

She warned him to desist from committing crimes and be of good behaviour, adding that being young or poor was not a licence to be a criminal.