The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction and sentence
of Sadi Zangina, Ahmed Buhari, Khalifa Muazu Aliyu and Olasode
Abdulganiu before Justice R.M.Aikawa of the Federal High Court, sitting in
Kaduna for fraud.
They were prosecuted on a separate one-count
charge, bordering on money laundering, impersonation
and cybercrime crime.
The charge against Zangina reads: " That you,
Sani Zangina, sometime in the year 2024, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of
the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did aid one Ahmad Kabir to commit an
offence, to wit: retention of proceeds of criminal conduct and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering
(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 20(b) of
the same Act.”
That of Abdulganiu reads: " That you,
Olasode Abdulganiu (a.k.a Hannah Jem Wolfie) sometime in June, 2025 in Bida
Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently
impersonated one Hannah Jem Wolfie ( a citizen of United Kingdom) on a Facebook
chat ( an online social media application) to Arabelle Raphael and in that
assumed character gained advantage to yourself in the total sum of $150 USD
(One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) from him, which you knew to be
false and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii)
of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable
under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded "guilty," upon
which the prosecution counsel F. A. I. Asemebo prayed the court to
convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel
pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that
they have become remorseful of their actions.
Justice Aikawa convicted and sentenced Zangina, Buhari
and Aliyu and to four years imprisonment, each or to pay
N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively. In
addition, Zangina forfeited N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira),
Buhari N720,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand naira) and Aliyu
N800,000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira), being the proceeds of their
crime to the federal government.
Abdulganiu bagged three years imprisonment
or to pay N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand
Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 13 mobile
phone and the sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars),
being the tool and proceeds of his crime, respectively to the federal
government.
While Abdulganiu was arrested in Minna
Local Government Area of Niger State, following
intelligence that exposed his fraudulent internet
activities, Zangina, Buhari and Aliyu were among those
arrested following a petition from Taj Bank, in which it
alleged that the convicts perpetrated internet fraud and theft by
exploiting a system glitch in the bank and transferred over N1
billion to various banks and fintech platforms through unauthorised means.
Comments:
Leave a Reply