The Federal High Court in Ilorin has sentenced Yakubu Aminu to 200 hours of community service for running bureau de change activities without a valid license.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro gave this ruling without an option of a fine.
Similarly, a Kwara State High Court, presided over by Justice Hammed Gegele, sentenced Abdulahi Abdulrasaq Omotosho and Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen for their involvement in internet fraud-related crimes. Both were sentenced to six months imprisonment, with an option of N150,000 fine each.
In a statement by Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, it was revealed that the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC had arraigned the three individuals on separate charges on October 9, 2024.
Yakubu Aminu was charged with running bureau de change activities without proper authorization. According to the charge: “That you, Yakubu Aminu, sometime in July 2024… did carry on other financial business, to wit: bureau de change activities without a valid licence issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, contrary to Section 15 (5) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020.”
Akeem Salaudeen was charged with having control over N4,069,000 in his bank account, which he knew to be proceeds of illegal activities. The charge read: “That you, Akeem Ibrahim Salaudeen, did knowingly have under your control the sum of N4,069,000.00 in your bank account, which you knew to be proceeds of criminal conduct.”
Justice Awogboro ordered that the money recovered from Yakubu at the time of arrest, including 50,000 CFA and N368,500, be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Gegele also ruled that the N4,069,000 recovered from Akeem, along with his iPhone 11, and $600 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max recovered from Abdulahi, also be forfeited to the government.
