The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jikwoyi has convicted two men, Haruna Mamuda and Sadiq Umar, for impersonating officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to defraud members of the public.
Justice M. Zubairu convicted the duo on Thursday after they pleaded guilty to a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, impersonation and unlawful representation.
According to the EFCC, the defendants, alongside one Salifu Olije Mustapha, who is standing trial separately before an FCT High Court in Kubwa, conspired in March 2026 to falsely present themselves as EFCC officers, contrary to the provisions of the Penal Code Act.
The commission further accused Umar, also known as Abubakar Hashimu Umar, of posing as an EFCC operative to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Following their guilty plea, prosecution counsel, R.U. Adagba, urged the court to convict them.
Counsel to Mamuda, Anamegbumam Innocent, pleaded for leniency, telling the court that his client had shown remorse, cooperated with investigators and was a married man with children.
Counsel to Umar, Bemdo Asan, also urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that his client had no previous conviction.
In response, Adagba asked the court to impose an appropriate sentence, arguing that Mamuda, a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army, deserved a punishment that would serve as a deterrent.
She also urged the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the defendants were transferred to the EFCC from the Department of State Services (DSS), where they are facing separate charges relating to alleged terrorism financing and kidnapping.
Justice Zubairu adjourned the matter until July 22, 2026, for sentencing and ordered that the convicts remain in EFCC custody pending the hearing.
(The Whistler)