Court Jails One for N2.9m Crypto Fraud in Maiduguri
Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 convicted and sentenced one Bukar Ahmed Shuwa to ten years imprisonment.
The convict was arraigned on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one -count amended charge for the offence of cheating to the tune of N2,950,000.00 (Two Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
The charge reads: “That you, Bukar Ahmed Shuwa sometimes in the year 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently induced one Mahmud Ali to deliver to you the aggregate sum of N2, 950,000.00 under the guise of Crypto Bitget Wallet Coin Investment and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 309 and punishable under Section 310 of the Penal Code Law and Other Matters Connected therewith Law, 2023.”
The defendant pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, A.D Abdulmalik prayed the court to convict him accordingly. While in the same vein, counsel to the defendant, H. Basharu pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy upon him.
Basharu further stated that the convict had fully restituted the money to the petitioner and urged the court to sentence him with an option of fine.
Thereafter, Justice Kumaliya convicted and sentenced the convict to ten years imprisonment with an option of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.
The convict’s journey to the Correctional facility started when he fraudulently induced the petitioner to deliver to him the sum of N2.9m under the guise of Crypto Bitget Wallet Coin Investment and diverted the money to his personal use.
