On Thursday, a Wuse Zone II Magistrates’ Court in Abuja sentenced dispatch rider Shamsu Sani to 18 months in prison for absconding with his employer’s goods valued at N3.5 million. Senior Magistrate Okpe Ibrahim handed down the sentence after Sani pleaded guilty to charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating by personation, and theft.

Magistrate Okpe chose not to offer Sani an option of a fine, stating that the sentence would have been harsher if Sani had not spared the court from a lengthy trial. The 28-year-old from Ruga village, Wuye, Abuja, had earlier admitted his guilt and requested leniency.

Prosecution Counsel Mr. Donatus Abah informed the court that Hadizah’s Fabrics, Sani's employer, had submitted a petition to the FCT Commissioner of Police on May 16. According to Abah, Sani was assigned to deliver goods worth N3.5 million to a customer but instead sold them to unknown individuals and kept the proceeds for himself before fleeing.

Sani was eventually apprehended and handed over to the police. During the investigation, he confessed to the crime, but efforts to recover the stolen goods were unsuccessful. Abah noted that the offense violated Sections 322, 324, and 288 of the Penal Code.