Two men identified as Abubakar Suleiman Lawal Farauq were convicted and sentenced to various prison terms on Tuesday for operating a Bureau De Change business without a valid licence and committing cybercrime offences in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin delivered the verdict after both defendants pleaded guilty to separate one-count charges filed by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charge against Suleiman reads:

“That you, Abubakar Suleiman, sometime in May, 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 57 (5) of the Bank and other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57 (5) (B) of the Act”

The charge against Farauq reads:

“That you, Lawal Farauq sometime in September 2023 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, fraudulently impersonated one Johanna Smith via your messenger account with intent to obtain money from one Mark Dewitt which you did obtain the sum of Seventy Dollars and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) of Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b)(iv) of the same Act”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.

Following their guilty pleas, EFCC prosecutor Aliyu Adebayo and Andrew Akoja, through witnesses who are investigators in the Commission presented evidence, including extra-judicial statements and monetary exhibits recovered at the time of their arrests.

Satisfied that the prosecution had sufficiently proven the cases, Justice Awogboro convicted the defendants and sentenced them to various jail terms.

The judge sentenced Suleiman to 300 hours of community service at five hours per day, ordering him to report to the court with a discharge certificate upon completion. Additionally, the court ordered the final forfeiture of CFA 3,360,000; N220,000, and N71,000 in counterfeit Naira notes to the government

In the same vein, Farauq bagged 200 hours of community service at five hours per day. The court also ordered the forfeiture of an iPhone 6s Plus used to commit the crime and the $70 he fraudulently obtained.

The two convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet fraud. They were charged to court and convicted.