Courts jail two for currency fraud, three for Internet crimes in Kaduna
EFCC
Courts jail two for currency fraud, three for Internet crimes in Kaduna
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction and sentencing of five individuals for various fraud offences.
The convicts, according to the statement by EFCC’ on Friday, July 19, were, Ibrahim Haruna, Abdullahi Yahaya, Daniel John, Benjamin Andrew Zagni, and Kenneth Barau.
The statement established that Haruna and Yahaya were accused of counterfeiting currency worth $81,700 before Justice Aikawa, while John, Zagni, and Barau faced individual charges related to impersonation, fraud, money laundering, and cyber crimes before Justice Buhari.
The one-count charge against Haruna and Yahaya according to the statement reads, “That you Ibrahim Haruna and Abdullahi Yahaya on or about the 9th May 2024 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court had in your possession a total of eight hundred and seventeen (817) pieces of $100 USD (One hundred United States dollars) counterfeit notes when you knew that same are counterfeit and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(1)(b) and punishable under Section 5(1)(c) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act.”
In the statement, John’s charge reads, “That you Daniel John (a.k.a Julieta),(M) between January and June 2024 at Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, falsely presented yourself as Julieta; a white woman from Hungary on Facebook and telegram (both online social media applications) to one Keta Kelemenne, and in that assumed character gained an advantage for yourself the total sum of $80.00 (Eighty United States Dollars ) from her, while claiming to assist her recover the money she had paid to previous online scammers, which you knew to be false and therefore committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3)(b) of the Cybercrimes(Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act,2015 and punishable under Section 22(4) of the same Act.”
That of Zagni stated, “That you Benjamin Andrew Zagni (a.k.a Andrew Williams) sometime in May 2024 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, retained the total sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty United States dollars) which you knew that such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention And Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
The EFCC in the release enunciated that all of them pleaded “guilty” to their charges. However, after that, the prosecution counsel M.U Gadaka, M.U Gadaka and K. Ogunlade urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
The statement stressed, “Justice Aikawa convicted and sentenced Haruna and Yahaya to seven years imprisonment each or a fine of N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) respectively. John bagged five years imprisonment or a fine of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira), while he convicted and sentenced Zagni to four years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Justice Buhari on her part convicted and sentenced Barau to two years imprisonment or a fine of N400,000 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira). In addition to their jail terms, John, Zagni and Barau forfeited their phones, being the instruments of their crimes to the federal government.
“The threesome was arrested alongside other members of an internet fraud syndicate in Kaduna and Jos, Plateau State in a stake-out by operatives of the Commission following credible intelligence on their criminal internet activities.”
