Yakubu Aminu was sentenced to 200 (two hundred) hours of community service by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin for operating bureau de change enterprises without a legal license.

Similarly, Abdulalahi Abdulrasaq Omotosho and Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen were imprisoned by a Kwara State High Court, which was presided over by Justice Hammed Gegele, for their roles in a crime involving internet fraud.

The three were arraigned in court on separate accusations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Directorate on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

“That you, Yakubu Aminu sometime in July 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 in contravention of Section 15 (5) of the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57 (5) (B) of the same Act,” according to the charge against Yakubu.

“That you, Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen, between December 3, 2018, and November 8, 2024, in Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of the Honorable Court, did knowingly have under your control the sum of N4,069, 000.00 (Four Million, Sixty Nine Thousand Naira Only) in your bank account number 2104916025 with the name Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen with the United Bank of Africa Plc, which you knew to be proceeds of criminal conduct.””

After being told the allegations, the defendants entered a guilty plea.

Based on the veracity of the charges that were brought before it and the prosecution’s uncontested evidence, the court subsequently found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to varying lengths of imprisonment.

Aminu was sentenced by Justice Awogboro to 200 (two hundred) hours of community work without the possibility of a fine. The judgment further mandated that the Federal Government forfeit the 50,000cfa and N368,500 (Three Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only) that were taken from him at the time of his arrest.

On his part, Justice Gegele condemned Abdullahi and Akeem to six months in prison each, with the possibility of receiving N150,000 (one hundred and fifty thousand naira only). As proceeds of their crimes, the Federal Government was awarded N4,069, 000.00 (four million, sixty-nine thousand naira only) that was found on Akeem’s iPhone 11 and $600 (six hundred dollars) that was found on Abdulahi’s iPhone 11 Pro Max.

When the defendants were apprehended for online fraud, they were sentenced to prison. They were looked into, accused, and found guilty.