Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has successfully prosecuted and secured convictions against two currency racketeers and three internet fraudsters in Kaduna State.
The convicted individuals are Ibrahim Haruna, Abdullahi Yahaya, Daniel John (also known as Julieta), Benjamin Andrew Zagni (also known as Andrew Williams), and Kenneth Barau (also known as Aisha Mohammed). They were prosecuted by the EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Command before Honourable Justices R.M. Aikawa and Hauwa’u Buhari on separate charges related to fraud.
Haruna and Yahaya were arraigned before Justice Aikawa on a single charge of currency counterfeiting amounting to $81,700. Meanwhile, John, Zagni, and Barau faced separate charges of impersonation, obtaining by false pretence, money laundering, and cyber crimes before Justice Buhari.
According to a statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the charge against Haruna and Yahaya stated: “That you, Ibrahim Haruna and Abdullahi Yahaya, on or about the 9th May 2024 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, had in your possession a total of eight hundred and seventeen (817) pieces of $100 USD (One hundred United States dollars) counterfeit notes, knowing that they were counterfeit, thereby committing an offense contrary to Section 5(1)(b) and punishable under Section 5(1)(c) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act.”
The charge against John read: “That you, Daniel John (also known as Julieta), between January and June 2024 at Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this honorable 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 in the total sum of $80 (Eighty United States Dollars) from her, while claiming to assist her in recovering money she had paid to previous online scammers, knowing this to be false. Thus, you 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.”
The charge against Zagni stated: “That you, Benjamin Andrew Zagni (also known as Andrew Williams), sometime in May 2024 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, retained the total sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) which you knew formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby committing 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.”
All five defendants pleaded “guilty” to their charges, prompting prosecution counsels M.U Gadaka and K. Ogunlade to urge the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Aikawa sentenced Haruna and Yahaya to seven years imprisonment each, with an option of a fine of N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira). John received a five-year sentence or a fine of N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira). Zagni was sentenced to four years or a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira). Justice Buhari 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, used as instruments of their crimes, to the federal government. The trio were arrested along with other members of an internet fraud syndicate in Kaduna and Jos, Plateau State, following credible intelligence gathered by EFCC operatives on their criminal activities.
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