Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced one Habila Dzarma Ishaku to nine years imprisonment.
Ishaku was re-arraigned on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on two-count charges bordering on money laundering and cybercrime to the tune of N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Habila Dzarma Ishaku between 2023 and 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did directly take possession of aggregate sum of N12, 000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) into your Opay Digital Services Ltd Account No. 8146406944, Habila Dzarma Ishaku , being the naira equivalent value for the Cash App, Pampay, and Gift Cards denominated in United States of America Dollars that you fraudulently received, which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known is proceeds of your fraud or form part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: your false representation of unsuspecting foreign nationals like; Ilyase; Ilyase with social media account @ilyase._.red and Adrea Velasco@.net_texthz etc. that you are a software engineer based in Los Angeles, California, United State of America and that you could unblock and activate blocked tiktok account 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 defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Based on his plea, counsel to the prosecution, Faruku Muhammad prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice Dagat thereafter, convicted and sentenced Ishaku on count one to four years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) and on count two he was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000.00.
The Judge further ordered the forfeiture of iPhone 13 pro max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy A32, Toyota Camry 2008 model and the sum of $1,500.00 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) to the Federal Government of Nigeria that recovered from him during the investigation.
The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of the Maiduguri’s Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for internet-related offences. He was charged to court and convicted.
