The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, secured the
conviction of Abubakar Suleiman for operating a Bureau De Change business
without a valid licence.
The Directorate also secured the conviction
of one Lawal Farauq for cybercrime-related offences.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High
Court, Ilorin, convicted and sentenced the two fraudsters who were charged
separately on one-count charges
The charge against Suleiman reads:
“That you, Abubakar Suleiman, sometime in
May, 2024 at Chikanda Market, Yashikira District, Baruten Local Government
Area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable
Court, did carry on other financial business to wit: Bureau De Change
Business without a valid licence issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria contrary
to Section 57 (5) of the Bank and other Financial Institutions Act, 2020
and punishable under Section 57 (5) (B) of the Act”
Tthe charge against Farauq reads:
“That you, Lawal Farauq sometime in September
2023 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, fraudulently
impersonated one Johanna Smith via your messenger account with intent to obtain
money from one Mark Dewitt which you did obtain the sum of Seventy Dollars and
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) of Cybercrime
(Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b)(iv)
of the same Act”
The defendants pleaded guilty to their
respective charges when they were read to them.
Following their guilty pleas, EFCC prosecutor
Aliyu Adebayo and Andrew Akoja, through witnesses who are investigators in the
Commission presented evidence, including extra-judicial statements and monetary
exhibits recovered at the time of their arrests.
Satisfied that the prosecution had sufficiently
proven the cases, Justice Awogboro convicted the defendants and sentenced them
to various jail terms.
The judge sentenced Suleiman to 300 hours of
community service at five hours per day, ordering him to report to the court
with a discharge certificate upon completion. Additionally, the court ordered
the final forfeiture of CFA 3,360,000; N220,000, and N71,000 in counterfeit
Naira notes to the government
In the same vein, Farauq bagged 200 hours
of community service at five hours per day. The court also ordered the
forfeiture of an iPhone 6s Plus used to commit the crime and the $70 he
fraudulently obtained.
The two convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet fraud. They were charged to court and convicted.
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