Eight Convicted in Kaduna for Cybercrime and Bank Fraud

A Federal High Court in Kaduna has sentenced eight young men to prison over their involvement in internet fraud and financial crime, in a major legal crackdown spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Presiding over the matter was Justice R.M. Aikawa, who issued the verdict after the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC successfully prosecuted the case against the suspects.

The individuals convicted are Abdulrasheed Dayyabu, Abdulrahman Salim, Abubakar Ali Uba, Falalu Tanko, Ishaq Haruna, Muhammad Faisal, Muhammad Sani Ahmed, and Hassan Umar.

Each of the accused faced individual charges centered on cybercrime activities, including identity theft, unlawful fund possession, internet-based financial scams, and aiding others in retaining proceeds of criminal acts.

For instance, the charge read in court against Abdulrasheed Dayyabu stated: “That you, Abdulrasheed Dayyabu, sometime in the year 2024, at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did aid one Buhari to commit an offence, to wit: retention of proceeds of criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 20(b) of the same Act.”

Another case presented against Falalu Tanko noted: “That you, Falalu Tanko, sometime in June, 2025 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court retained the total sum of $3,000 which you knew formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

All eight defendants admitted guilt to the charges leveled against them.

Following their guilty pleas, EFCC legal representative, Fortune Amina Iminabo Asemebo, presented the facts before the court and urged Justice Aikawa to rule in accordance with the evidence and relevant legal provisions.

Justice Aikawa delivered the rulings accordingly.

• Abdulrasheed Dayyabu received a four-year prison sentence with the alternative of paying a N100,000 fine. He was also mandated to forfeit N300,000, which was identified as the financial gain from his criminal activities.
• The other six — Abubakar Ali Uba, Abdulrahman Salim, Ishaq Haruna, Muhammad Faisal, Muhammad Sani Ahmed, and Hassan Umar — were each sentenced to four years imprisonment with an option of a N200,000 fine.

Furthermore, the court imposed asset recovery measures:

• Uba was ordered to forfeit N500,000,
• Salim, N720,000,
• Haruna, N200,000,
• Faisal, N1.1 million,
• Ahmed, N1.2 million,
• Umar, N170,000.

As for Falalu Tanko, the judgment was slightly different due to the nature of his crime, which involved digital scams. He was handed a three-year sentence with an option to pay a N300,000 fine. In addition to the sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of his BMW 3 Series (2008 model) and an iPhone 13 Pro, both considered proceeds of his illegal online dealings.

According to EFCC investigations, seven of the accused were arrested after TAJ Bank submitted a formal petition. The bank had uncovered a significant breach in its agency banking platform, with over ₦1 billion siphoned through a well-orchestrated network of fraudulent transfers targeting both bank and fintech systems.

Meanwhile, Falalu Tanko was tracked down and apprehended in the Babar Saura axis of Kaduna after intelligence linked him to cyber-related crimes.

The EFCC stated that this operation is part of a broader and ongoing clampdown on internet-based financial crimes. The Commission emphasized that its digital forensic capabilities and intelligence operations are rapidly expanding to outpace increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.