Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced two individuals on separate charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Abubakar Rabiu Wada, who operated under the alias Sadiq Gali, was convicted for criminal misappropriation and theft of ₦7 million after failing to supply broken rice as promised. The second convict, Abba Mohammed, was found guilty of unlawfully possessing 13 ATM cards belonging to different individuals.
Both defendants appeared before the court on Thursday, July 31, 2025, where they pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Details of the Sentencing
In her ruling, Justice Kumaliya sentenced Wada to three years imprisonment with an option of ₦100,000 fine. Court records revealed that Wada's conviction stemmed from a complaint that he had received payment for rice that was never delivered to the buyer.
For Mohammed, the court handed down a one-year jail term with an option of ₦50,000 fine. His arrest occurred after he attempted to fraudulently swap ATM cards at a local bank, raising suspicions that led to his apprehension.
The EFCC successfully prosecuted both cases through its counsels, A.D Abdulmalik and S.O Saka, as part of the commission's ongoing efforts to combat financial crimes in Nigeria.
This conviction adds to the growing list of successful prosecutions by the EFCC in northern Nigeria, highlighting the commission's commitment to tackling various forms of financial fraud across the country.
Financial experts have noted that ATM card fraud remains a significant concern in Nigeria's banking sector, with perpetrators often targeting vulnerable individuals through card swapping and other deceptive practices.
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