Justice A.A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court
sitting, in Kaduna State has convicted and jailed Stephen Ime Ibanga and
Augustine Mmesoma Umunnabuike for fraud.
They were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal
Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on
separate one-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence,
cheating and impersonation.
Ibanga’s charge reads: “That you, Stephen
Ime Ibanga (a.k.a James Armstrong) male, sometimes in March, 2025 at Kaduna
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated James Armstrong
(a citizen of United States of America) on 'Facebook' (an online social media
application) and benefitted the total sum of N744,968.00 (Seven Hundred and
Forty-four Thousand Nine Hundred and Six-eight Naira, only) from several
unsuspecting victims and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308
of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of
the same Law.”
That of Umunnabuike reads: "That you,
Augustine Mmesoma Umunnuabuike (a.k.a Demian) on or about the 16th of June,
2025 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated
one Demian (a Korean national) via Facebook platform and in such assumed
character, cheated unsuspecting members of the public and you
thereby an offence contrary to Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code
Law 2017 and punishable under the same law.”
They both pleaded “guilty,” following
which prosecution counsels, M.O. Arumemi and M.E.Eimonye urged the
court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Bello, thereafter, convicted
and sentenced Ibanga to three years imprisonment
or to pay N100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand
Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone
15, being the tool of his crime and the sum of $USD70 (Seventy United
States Dollars) and N744,968.00 (Seven Hundred and Forty-four Thousand, Nine
Hundred and Sixty-eight Naira), being the proceeds of his crime to the federal
government.
He convicted and sentenced Umunnabuike to
two years imprisonment or to pay N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Naira). In addition, he forfeited his iPhone
15 Pro, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
Both were arrested in Kafanchan LGA and Mahuta
axis of Kaduna State, following credible intelligence that
exposed their fraudulent internet activities.
In a related development, the Kaduna Zonal
Directorate of the EFCC has arraigned one Samaila Adamu
Gambo before Justice A.Isiaka of the State High Court, sitting
in Kaduna State for fraud.
He was arraigned on a three-count charge,
bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery.
Count one of his charge reads: "That you,
Samaila Adamu Gambo, sometime in January, 2020, in Kaduna, within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the
sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira, only) only from one Aminu Dalha
Haruna for the sale of a plot of land situated at No 3 Pampa Ida Millennium
City, Kaduna, when you falsely presented yourself as the rightful owner of the
said plot, a pretence you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence
contrary Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006 a d punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Samaila Adamu
Gambo, sometimes in January, 2020, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, dishonestly used a genuine forged a document titled:
Provisional Offer of Grant/Re-Grant of Statutory Rights of Occupancy No.
KDL/100275, purportedly allocated to one Abubakar Datti Yahaya which you
knew same document to be forged and you thereby committed an offence contrary
to Section 347 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017 and punishable under
Section 345 of the same Law.”
He pleaded “not guilty” when the
charges were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel,
M.Lawal to urge the court to fix a date for commencement of trial the
defendant bail.
Justice A. Isiaka, granted him bail in the
sum of N2 million, with one surety in like sum. The surety, the
judge held, shall be a landed property owner, covered
by a digital certificate of occupancy, to be verified by
KADGIS.
He adjourned the case till November 4, 2025
for hearing and ordered that the defendant be remanded in
correctional centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
Gambo walked his way to prosecution
following a petition by one Aminu Dalha Haruna, alleging that the
defendant approached him, sometime in January, 2020 and introduced
himself as the rightful owner of a plot of land situated at No.3
Pampa Ida Millennium City, Kaduna State which he said, he has up for
sale. He claimed that they arrived at the cost price of
N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira, only) which he paid to the
defendant. He further claimed that unknown to him, the defendant went
ahead and sold the same plot of land to another person without his consent
and that all efforts to recover his money proved abortive.
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