Justices H. H Kereng and Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe, Gombe State have convicted and sentenced five fraudsters to various jail terms.
The convicts are: Illiyasu Mohammed , Dan Musa , Elisha Elkana, Nasiru Mohammed and Saidu Mohammed Laddo.
Mohanmed and Musa were arraigned on one- count charge of cheating and impersonation before Justice Kereng , while Elkana , Nasiru and Laddo were arraigned on charges bordering on cheating before Justice Yakubu.
The convicts were arraigned by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, between July 29 and July 30, 2025
The charges against Saidu Mohammed Laddo and Nasiru Mohammed read: “That you Nasiru Mohammed and Saidu Mohammed Laddo sometimes in 2022 at Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud induced one Umar Adamu Musa to deliver to you the sum of Two Million Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira ( N2,620,000) as payment to help him secure employment with the Nigerian Immigration Service for his brothers , a representation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law.”
The charge against Elisha Elkana reads: “that you, Elisha Elkana, sometimes in July 2024 at Gombe , Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud induced one Blessing Johnson to deliver to you the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Naira ( N300,000) for the purpose of repaying one Jamila Adams which you ended up diverting same to your personal used and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria. “
Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, SE Okemini and ME Ugbe to urge the court to convict and sentence them accordingly but counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
Justice Kereng thereafter convicted and sentenced Mohammed and Musa to six months imprisonment or a fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) each.
Justice Abdulhamid convicted and sentenced Elkana to twelve months imprisonment with an option of N30,000( Thirty Thousand Naira) fine .
Mohammed and Laddo were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) each.
In addition, the courts ruled that the convicts restitute the aggregate sum of N2,920,000 to the victims of crime and forfeit Samsung S8 and Techno Camon 16 mobile phones being instruments of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested by the EFCC for internet crimes. They were charged to court and jailed.
