Bureau-de-change operator bags 7 years for fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Office, Wednesday, secured a seven years prison term of one Sadiq Mustapha without option of fine.

Justice Mallong Peter of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, convicted and sentenced Mustapha for obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N6,100,000 and operating illegal bureau de change.

EFCC, Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, in a press statement in abuja, said Mustapha was arraigned by the commission on December 2, 2019, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and operating a bureau de change without authorisation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said trouble began for the convict following a petition by one Abdulsalam Danlami Abubakar alleging that sometime in 2016 Mustapha lured him into transferring the sum of N6,100,000 in three separate transactions from his Zenith Bank account to that of his company, Abueleven Limited, domiciled in Fidelity Bank for exchange with dollar equivalent of $20,000 USD.

He said the convict had pleaded not guilty to charges and in the cause of trial the Prosecution Counsel, S. H. SA’AD presented two witnesses and tendered various exhibits.

According to Oyewale, 

“Apart from the sentence, Justice Mallong further ordered  the convict to make a N100,000 restitution to the complainant, having earlier refunded the sum of N6 million to him, as well as an additional N100,000  fine to the federal government on count-two of the charge.”

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