Court Sentences BDC Operator and Internet Fraudster in Kwara
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court 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 license. This sentence comes without the option of a fine.
The court also sentenced Akinwale Olamilekan to 300 hours of community service, also to be served at five hours per day, after finding him guilty of a cybercrime charge. Like Buba, Olamilekan’s sentence does not include an option for a fine.
Both Musa Buba and Akinwale Olamilekan were arraigned separately by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges before the court.
The charge against Musa Buba read: “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.”
Akinwale Olamilekan faced the charge: “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.”
Both defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
After considering 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 as charged.
Additionally, the court ordered Musa Buba to forfeit 409,500 CFA and N1,973,200 recovered from him at the time of his arrest to the federal government.
Similarly, the court ordered Akinwale Olamilekan to forfeit the sum of $450, which he had restituted, as well as an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which he used in carrying out the crime, to the federal government.
