By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced one Yakubu Aminu to 200 (Two Hundred) hours community service for carrying out bureau de change businesses without a valid licence.

Similarly, a Kwara State High Court presided over by Justice Hammed Gegele also jailed the duo of Abdulalahi Abdulrasaq Omotosho and Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen for involvement in internet fraud -related crime.

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had on Wednesday October 9, 2024 arraigned the trio before the courts on separate charges.

The charge against Yakubu reads:
“That you, Yakubu Aminu sometime in July 2024, at Chikanda Market, Yashikira District, Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did carry on, other financial business, to wit: Bureau De Change Business without a valid licence issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria contrary to Section 15 (5) of the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57 (5) (B) of the same Act”

The charge against Akeem reads:
“That you, Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen between 3rd December 2018 and 8th November 2024, in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of Honourable Court, did knowingly had under your control the sum of N4,069, 000.00 (Four Million, Sixty Nine Thousand Naira Only) in your bank account number 2104916025 with the name Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen with the United Bank of Africa Plc which you knew to be proceeds of criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 319 (a) of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria”

The defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.

The court thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendants to various jail terms relying on the credibility of the cases presented before it and the unchallenged evidence of the prosecution.

Justice Awogboro sentenced Aminu to 200 (Two Hundred) hours community service without an option of fine. The judge also ordered that the sum of 50,000cfa and N368,500 (Three Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only) recovered from him at the point of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Gegele on his part sentenced the duo of Akeem and Abdullahi to six months imprisonment each with an option of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only). The sum of N4,069, 000.00 (Four Million, Sixty Nine Thousand Naira Only) recovered from Akeem alongside his iphone 11 and $600 (Six Hundred Dollars) recovered from Abdulahi together with iphone 11 pro max, being proceeds of their crimes were forfeited to the Federal Government.

The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for internet-related fraud. They were investigated, charged to court and convicted.