Three convicted over N1.5m scam land …N31 recovered from cybercrime suspects

Juliana Francis

Three men, Bulama Yahaya, Wakil Bukar and Umar Bukar Gaji, have been convicted over N1.5million land scam.

The convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Maiduguri Zonal Office.
The accused were convicted yesterday, after being arraigned before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High court sitting in Maiduguri on an amended two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and cheating.
The prosecuting counsel, Halima Shehu, informed the court of the amended two-count charge, which was necessitated by the disappearance of the prime suspect in the case, and a plea bargain agreement dated February 5, 2019.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Bulama Yahaya, Wakil Bukar and Umar Bukar Gaji, sometimes in June 2017, in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N 1,500,000 from Mohammed Abatcha to whom you sold Plot No 305 to him instead of Plot No 902 situated at Polo on BOTP/159 Extension Layout behind Federal High Court Maiduguri under the false pretence that the said Plot No 902 belongs to Umar Bukar Gaji, which pretence you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) of the Borno State Penal Code Laws CAP. 102 and punishable under section 322 of the same Law.”
She prayed the court to substitute and read the charges earlier filed on November 19, 2018, with the amended one dated February 7, 2019, “to enable them take their pleas.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to the amended charges.
Justice Kumaliya, thereafter, convicted them and sentenced them to six months in prison with an option of N20, 000 as fine.

In another development, the Commission arrested five suspected Internet fraudsters and recovered N31 million from them.

The suspects – Paul Duru, Daniel Effiong, David Gold, Moses Gold and Eke Kelechi, were arrested following a petition received by the EFCC from a new generation bank.

EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade said: “The bank had observed suspicious transactions on an account belonging to Duru, after he received N63m. He was subsequently arrested by operatives of the EFCC. His arrest led to the arrest of other suspected fraudsters. Investigations revealed that Duru was hired by Effiong, a ‘catfisher,’ who presented himself as Arbara Williams, a 27-year-old Caucasian. A ‘catfisher’ is an individual who uses the Internet, and in particular, online dating websites to lure people into romance scam.”

Duru allegedly had a ‘picker’ in the United States, one John T. Benn, who received money in dollars and send same to him. On his part, Effiong established a relationship with Sung Yong Hwa, a Korean and Peter Davito, a Canadian.

Orilade stated that the others were arrested for allegedly involving in love scam. He added that they would soon be charged to court.