Operatives of the Abuja Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested Badamasi Sule and Muhammad Muhammad, suspected money-doublers, for being in possession of counterfeit Naira notes totalling about N45million.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Head of Media & Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects were arrested in December 2019, following actionable intelligence report which exposed a syndicate of fraudsters who specialise in printing fake N1, 000 notes. They were also found to be in possession of fake $100 bills.
Investigations further revealed that two “Ghana-must-go bags” in their possession containing the N1, 000 notes were shortly to be put into circulation. Their primary targets are Bureaux de Change operators, and unsuspecting members of the public.
The syndicate is believed to be operating from Gashua, Yobe State, with its dispatch lodge being a hotel located in Abacha Estate, close to the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja. They will soon be arraigned in court, the statement said.
Meanwhile Justice Mohammed Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court on Friday, January 10, 2020 sentenced one Joseph Adebayo to seven years in prison without option of fine for defrauding Ikemefune Sunny of N700,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira).
The convict was prosecuted by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
Adebayo started his journey to prison following a petition submitted to the Ibadan Zonal Office of the EFCC in which the petitioner alleged that sometime in October, 2017 he purchased a plot of land, which hosted an uncompleted building, located at the back of Christ High School, Odo-Ona Elewe area, Oluyole, Ibadan from the convict at the cost of N700, 000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira).
He further alleged that despite paying the complete price, he was unable to take possession of the land having been stopped by the genuine owner when he attempted to construct a perimeter fence around the land.
Following the development, all efforts by the petitioner to get his money back proved abortive as Adebayo became elusive.
In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, Ifeanyi Agwu, presented two witnesses, whereas, the accused testified for himself the EFCC statement said.
