I Engaged In Fraud To Raise Money For My Wedding, Says Convicted Man In Bauchi

Ibrahim Abdullahi, a convicted criminal sentenced to one year in prison for stealing the sum of N30,000, has confessed to engaging in ATM card swapping to raise money for his planned wedding.

Abdullahi faced two charges of stealing brought by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to a statement released by the EFCC on Friday, “Justice M.A Shambu of the Bauchi State High Court, sitting in Bauchi on Thursday, December 14, 2023, convicted and sentenced Ibrahim Abdullahi to one year in prison for stealing the sum of N30,000 through fraudulent swapping of an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.”

One of the charges read: “That you, Ibrahim Abdullahi, sometime in September 2023 or thereabout at Bauchi, Bauchi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed theft of N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira) by taking it out of the possession of Zainab Usman, through the use of her UBA ATM card contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code Law.”

He pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting EFCC counsel A.B. Kware to request the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, while his counsel, Jamilu Salihu, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. He stated that his client was a first-time offender who had promised to turn over a new leaf.

Justice Shambu convicted and sentenced Abdullahi to one year in prison or to pay a fine of N20,000 and restitute the sum of N30,000 to his victim.

Abdullahi’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner alleged that on November 22, 2023, she received a debit alert of N30,000 from her UBA account. Earlier that day, she went to the bank to make a withdrawal where she encountered the convict.

He offered to assist her in operating the ATM. After handing her card to him, he inserted it into the machine, claimed the transaction was “unsuccessful,” and returned the card. However, shortly after returning home, she received a debit alert of N30,000 and realised that the card Abdullahi returned was not hers.

During arrest and interrogation, Abdullahi confessed that he had moved from Kano State to Bauchi State to engage in ATM card swapping to raise money for his planned wedding.

He further disclosed that he executed the swapping act by himself and that the five different ATM cards found in his possession belonged to his victims.