Justice Emmanuel Gakko of the Federal High
Court sitting in Kebbi, Kebbi State, on Tuesday July 22, 2025
convicted and sentenced two motor dealers : Mamuda Aliyu and Hamza
Muhammad Mahuta to various jail terms for money laundering.
They were jailed upon their arraignment and trial on
ten- count charges preferred against them by the Sokoto Zonal Directorate
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Count one reads: " That you Mamuda Aliyu and
Hamza Muhammad Mahuta (trading under the name and style of Dogaro Ga Allah
Motors) being a Designated Non-Financial Institution and carrying on the
business of sales of vehicles at opposite new prison along Jega Road Birnin
Kebbi, sometimes between 2019 and 2021 at Birnin Kebbi within the jurisdiction
of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did in contravention of Section 5(1) to
(5) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 failed to submit a declaration
of your activities to wit: requirements of customer identification and the
submission of returns on transactions to the Special Control Unit Against Money
Laundering domiciled in the EFCC and you thereby committed an offence contrary
to Section 5 (1) to (5) and punishable under Section 5 (6) (a) and (b) of the
same Act”.
Count six reads: "That you Mamuda Aliyu and Hamza
Muhammad Mahuta (trading under the name and style of Dogaro Ga Allah Motors)
being a Designated Non-Financial Institution and carrying on the business of
sales of vehicles along Jega Road Birnin Kebbi, on or about the 10th January
2020 at Birnin Kebbi within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of
Nigeria, without going through a financial institution accepted cash payment of
the sum of N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) from Ministry of Animal Health
which exceeded N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) threshold for the purpose of
selling a Toyota Hilux Model with receipt no:1098 and thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011
(As Amended) punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act”
Both convicts pleaded not guilty to the charges when
they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Habila Jonathan to
pray the court to grant a date for commencement of trial. The trial
lasted eight months with the EFCC counsel presenting several documents which
were admitted as exhibits by the court against the defendants.
At the end of the trial, Justice Gakko
found them guilty, convicted and sentenced the convicts on
count one to a fine of N250,000( Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira)
each. On count two, the convicts were sentenced to a fine of N250,000
each. On count 3-10, the convicts were sentenced to a fine of
N100,000( One Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count or one year
imprisonment. The convicts were also directed to comply with the
provisions of the Money Laundering Act within two months.
Aliyu and Mahuta were arrested for
non-compliance with the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition &
Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended). They failed to conduct multiple
transactions above the reportable threshold and non- registration with the
Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering as required by law.
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