The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction and sentence of Sadi Zangina, Ahmed Buhari, Khalifa Muazu Aliyu and Olasode Abdulganiu before Justice R.M.Aikawa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna for fraud.
They were prosecuted on a separate one-count charge, bordering on money laundering, impersonation and cybercrime crime.
The charge against Zangina reads: ” That you, Sani Zangina, sometime in the year 2024, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did aid one Ahmad Kabir to commit an offence, to wit: retention of proceeds of criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 20(b) of the same Act.”
That of Abdulganiu reads: ” That you, Olasode Abdulganiu (a.k.a Hannah Jem Wolfie) sometime in June, 2025 in Bida Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Hannah Jem Wolfie ( a citizen of United Kingdom) on a Facebook chat ( an online social media application) to Arabelle Raphael and in that assumed character gained advantage to yourself in the total sum of $150 USD (One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) from him, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
They all pleaded “guilty,” upon which the prosecution counsel F. A. I. Asemebo prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful of their actions.
Justice Aikawa convicted and sentenced Zangina, Buhari and Aliyu and to four years imprisonment, each or to pay N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, respectively. In addition, Zangina forfeited N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), Buhari N720,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand naira) and Aliyu N800,000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira), being the proceeds of their crime to the federal government.
Abdulganiu bagged three years imprisonment or to pay N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 13 mobile phone and the sum of $150 (One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars), being the tool and proceeds of his crime, respectively to the federal government.
While Abdulganiu was arrested in Minna Local Government Area of Niger State, following intelligence that exposed his fraudulent internet activities, Zangina, Buhari and Aliyu were among those arrested following a petition from Taj Bank, in which it alleged that the convicts perpetrated internet fraud and theft by exploiting a system glitch in the bank and transferred over N1 billion to various banks and fintech platforms through unauthorised means.
Media & Publicity
July 22, 2025
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