BDC Operator Jailed Over N20.6m Fraud

Justice I.B Gafai of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, on Thursday sentenced a Bureau De Change Operator, Isa Abdukarim, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to six months imprisonment.

He was prosecuted on a four-count charge over N20,650,000.00 (Twenty Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fraud.

In the course of trial, prosecution counsel, Michael Ikechukwu Ani called six witnesses and tendered various exhibits before the court to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Gafai, after reviewing the evidence against Abdukarim on February 26, 2020, found him guilty of all the charges against him and convicted him under Section 344 of the Criminal Code, LFN, 2004.

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The Judge, while sentencing him to six months imprisonment for being reckless in the handling of the complainant’s money today further ordered the convict to restitute all the monies to the victim in line with Section 321 (a) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Section 11 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 .

EFCC was also ordered to identify, trace, attach all monies and properties of the convict whether movable or immovable, sell and pay the proceeds to the victim.

Abdulkarim’s journey to Correctional Centre started between 7th and 8th of November, 2017 when he obtained aggregate sum of N20,650,000.00 from the victim under false pretence that he was to sell to the victim, Thirty Five Million Cameroonian CFA which he never did.