Bureau-de-Change operator Bags Seven Years Jail Term

By Owolola Adebola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 secured a seven years prison term of one Sadiq Mustapha without option of fine, before Justice Mallong Peter of the Federal High Court, Kaduna for obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N6,100, 000 (Six Million One Hundred Thousand) and operating illegal bureau de change.

Mustapha was arraigned on December 2, 2019 on a two-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and operating a bureau de change without authorisation by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Trouble began for the convict following a petition by one Abdulsalam Danlami Abubakar, who alleged that sometime in 2016, Mustapha lured him into transferring the sum of N6,100.000 (Six Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) in three separate transactions from his Zenith Bank account to that of his company, Abueleven Limited, domiciled in Fidelity Bank for exchange with dollar equivalent of $ 20,000 USD.

One of the count read: “That you Sadiq Mustapha while being the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of your company, called Abueleven Limited, sometime in 2016, at Kaduna within the judicial division of the Federal High Court of Kaduna, without appropriate licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and with intent to defraud, obtained from one Abdulsalam Danlami Abubakar, the total sum of N6.1m through your company account called Abueleven Limited with account number 4010185189, domiciled at Fidelity Bank Plc for changing the money to $20 000 United State Dollars at the rate of N305 per dollar, which you knew all to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act 2006.”

He pleaded not guilty to charges. In the cause of trial prosecution counsel, S.H.SA’AD presented two witnesses and tendered various exhibits.

Apart from the sentence, Justice Mallong further ordered the convict to make a N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) restitution to the complainant, having earlier refunded the sum of N6,000,000 (Six Million Naira) to him, and additional N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand) fine to the Federal Government of Nigeria on count-two of the charge.