Court Jails BDC Operator, Internet Fraudster In Kwara

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced Musa Buba to 300 hours of community service, to be served at a rate of five hours per day, for operating a bureau de change (BDC) business without a valid licence.

The sentence is without an option of a fine.

The judge also sentenced one Akinwale Olamilekan to 300 hours community service of five hours per day without option of fine, having found him guilty of a lone count charge of cybercrime.

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned both Musa and Akinwale on separate charges before the court.

The charge against Musa Buba reads: “That you, Musa Buba, sometime in July 2024 at Chikanda market, Yashikira district, Baruten local government area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did carry on the business of another financial institution, to wit: Bureau De Change Business, without a valid license issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, contrary to Section 57 (1) & (2) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020, and punishable under Section 57(5)(b) of the same Act.”

The charge against Akinwale Olamilekan reads: “That you, Akinwale Olamilekan (Alias: Mary Williams), sometime in November 2024, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Mary Williams via your iMessage account to obtain the sum of $950 from one Mark Durham, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charge.

Convinced by the facts of the case, the uncontroverted evidence presented by the prosecution, led by Andrew Akoja, and the guilty pleas of the defendants, Justice Awogboro convicted and sentenced them accordingly.

In addition to the sentence, the court ordered Musa Buba to forfeit the sum of 409,500 CFA and N1,973,200 recovered from him at the point of arrest, to the federal government.

Similarly, the judge ordered Akinwale to forfeit the sum of $450, which he had restituted, as well as an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which he used in perpetrating the crime, to the federal government.