Kano Court Jails Fake Auctioneer 14 Years for N35m Fraud
Justice Nasiru Saminu of the Kano State High Court has convicted and sentenced one Bulama Abdulrahman to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Bulama was found guilty of posing as an auctioneer assigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to sell some properties forfeited to the Federal Government.
He was jailed after facing trial on a two-count charge bordering on intent to defraud and obtaining N35 million under false pretences.
One of the charges reads:“That you Abdulrahman Bulama on or about June, 2023 in Kano within the jurisdiction of the Kano State High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira only) from one Safiyanu Abdullahi of Tauraro and Property Limited under the false pretense that you are an auctioneer and you had the consent and authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to auction a fenced uncompleted building at Rijiyar Zaki Kano , which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006.”
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the two- count charge, which made the case to go into full trial.
The prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, presented three witnesses while the defendant stood as lone witness in his defence.
Convinced by the weight of evidence presented by the prosecution, the judge found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The judge further ordered that the defendant pay N35 million as restitution to the victim, or serve additional seven years in jail.
Bulama’s journey to prison began when the Commission received a petition alleging that he posed as an auctioneer assigned by the EFCC to sell some properties that were forfeited to the Federal Government on the Commission’s behalf.
In the process, Bulama obtained N35 million from his victims under the guise of selling them a truck and an uncompleted building in Kano.
Bulama, a serial fraudster, has been convicted by a Kano State High Court on June 28, 2021 for a similar offence of obtaining by false pretence.
