By Abdul Lauya
A magistrate court has fined a young woman ₦450,000 or sentenced her to seven years in prison after she was found guilty of collecting ₦30,000 transport money from a man and failing to show up as promised.
The court was told that the woman received the money under the agreement that she would visit the complainant but later backed out without refunding him.
The prosecutor argued that her action was deliberate and amounted to fraud since she had no intention of keeping her word after collecting the money.
In his ruling, the magistrate said the amount was not the main issue but the deceit involved, stressing that collecting money under false pretenses is a crime that must be punished.
The judgment has sparked mixed reactions. Some people say the punishment is too harsh for just ₦30,000, while others insist it is a good step to discourage deceit in personal dealings.
Legal experts note that the case shows how Nigerian courts are beginning to treat small acts of fraud seriously, even when they come in the form of personal or social transactions.
Observers believe the ruling should serve as a warning that dishonesty, no matter how small, carries serious consequences under the law.
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