Kano Court Convicts Smugglers Of 1,144 ATM Cards To Prison
LAGOS DECEMBER 21ST (NEWSRANGERS)-The Kano State High Court in Kano, on Monday, convicted three smugglers of 1,144 Automated Card Machine (ATM) cards.
A statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the judge, Tanimu Shehu, sentenced them to six months’ imprisonment with an option N50,000 each.
The commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who signed the statement, said the conviction followed the defendants pleading guilty to separate charges of three counts each.
Mr Uwujaren had earlier this month disclosed in a statement that the suspects were caught trying to smuggle a total of 1,144 ATM cards out of the country.
He had said the three suspects – Abdullahi Usman, Musa Abubakar and Abdulwahid Auwalu – were apprehended by EFCC operatives during separate arrests carried out between November 24 and December 1, 2021.
The commission restated on Monday that it was discovered that Musa Abubakar, who was on his way to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), had concealed 714 ATM cards, while Abdullahi Usman who was Saudi Arabia-bound had 298 ATM cards in his possession.
Mr Abdulwahid, on the other hand, was said to have been arrested with 132 ATM cards while trying to board an Ethiopian Airlines plane to Istanbul Turkey.
Defendants admit guilt, convicted
All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
The counsel for the prosecution, Usman Shehu, subsequently asked the court to convict them accordingly.
After listening to the plea for mercy from the defence counsel, A.M Bashir, the judge, convicted the defendants and sentenced them to six months imprisonment each, with the option of a fine of N50,000 each.
One of the counts against Musa Abubakar reads, “That you MUSA ABUBAKAR UMAR on or about 24th November, 2021 at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Kano State, while trying to board a plane scheduled for Lagos, did commit an offence to wit; retain possession of 714 (Seven Hundred and Fourteen) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards of Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Access Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, First Bank, Polaris Bank, Fidelity Bank and FCMB respectively, issued in the name of different card holders, which cards you reasonably ought to know were taken out of the possession of owners under circumstances which constitute card theft, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code and punishable under the same Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code.”
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Posted by News Rangers
on Dec 21 2021. Filed under National.
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