A case was heard by Justice J.A. Kereng at the Gombe State High Court in Gombe, resulting in the conviction and imprisonment of Ibrahim Abdullahi and Umar Usman for deceiving individuals and illegally obtaining N682,847.
The two defendants, Abdullahi and Usman, were charged by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for committing fraud and perpetrating a scam related to employment.
The charge against Ibrahim and Usman stated that they fraudulently acquired the Polaris ATM Cards of Aminu Adamu Idris and Muhammed Saidu Jibril in Gombe, claiming to secure employment for them in a private company. Instead, they used the ATM cards to obtain a loan of N682,847 without the victims’ consent, violating the law as stipulated in the Penal Code.
Upon admitting guilt to the charges, the defendants’ plea led the prosecution to request the court for appropriate sentencing.
In defense, the defendants’ counsel, R.A. Anthony, appealed for leniency, citing the remorse and first-time offense of the individuals.
Justice Kereng sentenced Abdullahi to one year in prison with a N50,000 fine option, while Usman received a two-year imprisonment term or a N50,000 fine.
The EFCC revealed that the convicted individuals lured their victims with fake job opportunities, leading them to open accounts at Polaris Bank and hand over their ATM cards. Subsequently, the victims discovered an unauthorized loan of N682,847, sparking a report to the EFCC after failed attempts to rectify the situation.