Two men, Abubakar Suleiman and Lawal Farauq, were convicted by the Federal High Court in Ilorin for cybercrime and operating an unlicensed Bureau De Change

Two men, Abubakar Suleiman and Lawal Farauq, have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, for operating a Bureau De Change business without a valid licence and for cybercrime-related offences.

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Justice Abimbola Awogboro delivered the sentences on Tuesday after the two men separately pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charge against Suleiman stated that, in May 2024, he had been operating a Bureau De Change business without a valid licence issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Chikanda Market, Yashikira District, Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State. This act violated the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020.

Farauq, on the other hand, was charged with cybercrime for impersonating a person named Johanna Smith in September 2023. Through this fraudulent act, Farauq obtained 70 USD from one Mark Dewitt. His actions were in violation of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015.

Both men pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them. During the trial, the EFCC prosecutors, Aliyu Adebayo and Andrew Akoja, presented evidence, including extra-judicial statements and recovered monetary exhibits, to support the case.

Following the guilty pleas, Justice Awogboro convicted both men. Suleiman was sentenced to 300 hours of community service, to be carried out at five hours per day, and he was ordered to report to the court with a discharge certificate upon completion.

The court also ordered the final forfeiture of CFA 3,360,000, N220,000, and N71,000 in counterfeit Naira notes to the government.

Farauq, meanwhile, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at five hours per day. The court also directed the forfeiture of an iPhone 6s Plus, which he had used in committing the fraud, along with the $70 he fraudulently obtained.

Both men were arrested by EFCC operatives for their involvement in internet fraud and were subsequently charged and convicted in court. This case serves as a reminder of the EFCC’s continued efforts to combat fraud and illegal activities within the financial and cybercrime sectors.