Justice Jude K. Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri on Thursday, May 23, 2024, convicted and sentenced two fraudsters to twelve years imprisonment.
The convicts are Victor Yakubu and Mamman Malah Bukar Damasak. They were arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Yakubu was arraigned on a two count charge to the tune of N852,893.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Three Naira), While Damasak was arraigned on a one count charge to the tune of N2,350,000.00 (Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for the offence of money laundering respectively.
The charge against Yakubu reads: “That you Victor Yakubu (alias Bannasupport) between 2023 and 2024 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly take possession of an aggregate sum of N852,893.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Three Naira) from unsuspecting white citizens through Cash App, Pampay and Gift Cards into your Kuda Microfinance Bank Limited with account no; 2027149601 and account name; Victor Yakubu being the naira equivalent value of the Cash App, Pampay and Gift Cards denominated in United States of America Dollars received by you as Bannsupport, a white man from Philippine, purportedly for the unblocking of blocked tiktok account which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known is proceeds of fraud or form part of proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 18 (20) (d) of the money laundering prevention and prohibition Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 3) of the same Act.”
While the charge against Damasak reads: “That you Mamman Malah Bukar Damasak with the National Identification Number; 22178012504 on or about June, 2023 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directly converts the aggregate sum of N2,350,000.00 (Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) which you reasonably ought to have known that it forms part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: obtaining under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to their separate charges, prompting prosecution counsel S.O Saka to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Dagat thereafter convicted and sentenced Yakubu to four years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine for count one, while on count two he was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.
The Judge further ordered the sum of N852,800, (Eight Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Three Naira), IPhone 14pro max, black wrist watch, charger and an ear-pot that were recovered during the course of investigation to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Prison terms run concurrently.
In the same vein, the Judge sentenced Damasak to four years imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) fine.
The two convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC for internet-related offences. They were charged to court and convicted.