Saturday, November 9, 2024 - An internet fraudster, Habila Dzarma Ishaku has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment.He was convicted and sentenced by Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri.
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.
0 Comments