*Secures final forfeiture of tractors, auto rickshaws
*Arrests 32 suspected internet fraudsters in Bauchi
WorldStage newsonline– Justice A.A. Bello of the Kaduna State High Court sitting, in Kaduna State has convicted and jailed Stephen Ime Ibanga and Augustine Mmesoma Umunnabuike for fraud.
They were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on separate one-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence, cheating and impersonation.
Ibanga’s charge reads: “That you, Stephen Ime Ibanga (a.k.a James Armstrong) male, sometimes in March, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated James Armstrong (a citizen of United States of America) on ‘Facebook’ (an online social media application) and benefitted the total sum of N744,968.00 (Seven Hundred and Forty-four Thousand Nine Hundred and Six-eight Naira, only) from several unsuspecting victims and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
That of Umunnabuike reads: “That you, Augustine Mmesoma Umunnuabuike (a.k.a Demian) on or about the 16th of June, 2025 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Demian (a Korean national) via Facebook platform and in such assumed character, cheated unsuspecting members of the public and you thereby an offence contrary to Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under the same law.”
They both pleaded “guilty,” following which prosecution counsels, M.O. Arumemi and M.E.Eimonye urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Bello, thereafter, convicted and sentenced Ibanga to three years imprisonment or to pay N100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 15, being the tool of his crime and the sum of $USD70 (Seventy United States Dollars) and N744,968.00 (Seven Hundred and Forty-four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-eight Naira), being the proceeds of his crime to the federal government.
He convicted and sentenced Umunnabuike to two years imprisonment or to pay N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 15 Pro, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.
Both were arrested in Kafanchan LGA and Mahuta axis of Kaduna State, following credible intelligence that exposed their fraudulent internet activities.
In a related development, the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC has arraigned one Samaila Adamu Gambo before Justice A.Isiaka of the State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State for fraud.
He was arraigned on a three-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery.
Count one of his charge reads: “That you, Samaila Adamu Gambo, sometime in January, 2020, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira, only) only from one Aminu Dalha Haruna for the sale of a plot of land situated at No 3 Pampa Ida Millennium City, Kaduna, when you falsely presented yourself as the rightful owner of the said plot, a pretence you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 a d punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Samaila Adamu Gambo, sometimes in January, 2020, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly used a genuine forged a document titled: Provisional Offer of Grant/Re-Grant of Statutory Rights of Occupancy No. KDL/100275, purportedly allocated to one Abubakar Datti Yahaya which you knew same document to be forged and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 347 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017 and punishable under Section 345 of the same Law.”
He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M.L
FINAL FORFEITURE OF TRACTORS
Justice Haleema Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin has ordered the final forfeiture of two tractors and two auto rickshaws by Kayode Oyin-Zubair, a former Special Assistant on Community Intervention to ex-Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed in favour of Self Reliance Economic Advancement Programme, SEAP, in the state.
delivering the ruling, Justice Saleeman dismissed an application filed by Oyin-Zubair, seeking to set aside an earlier interim forfeiture order on the items and upheld the arguments of EFCC’s counsel, Mustapha Kaigama in favour of the applicant, Self Reliance Economic Advancement Programme, SEAP that the assets were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity. The forfeited items are valued at N57.4 million.
Oyin-Zubair, who served who served as assistant between 2020 and 2023 to former governor Ahmed, had approached SEAP to finance the procurement of 100 auto rickshaws, commonly called “tricycles” and 100 mini-buses for members of the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
While SEAP disbursed N192 million for the purchases, investigations revealed that N72 million in repayments made by the beneficiaries was diverted and used by Oyin-Zubair to acquire two tractors and two auto rickshaws.
The EFCC recovered the illegally acquired items in a warehouse along Fate Road, Ilorin and secured an order for their interim forfeiture in November 2024.
INTERNET FRAUDSTERS IN BAUCHI
Operatives of the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 32 suspected internet fraudsters.
They were arrested on Friday, July 25, 2025 in Sabon Kaura and Gwalameji areas of Bauchi in Bauchi State following credible intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
Items recovered from them included nine Samsung mobile phones, 15 iPhones, one Infinix phone, three Redmi phones, two iPads, one Peugeot 406 car, two Playstation 4, one PlayStation 5, four Neonx Auto bike, eight laptop computers, one Maxi E50KWH generator and one pistol.
The Commission said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
