The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said Hafiz Mohammed Bashir innocently shared the phone number of a Bureau De Change operator who was duped of a total sum of N197m by a couple: Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, alongside two others, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele.
According to the account given by the EFCC, Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq had obtained the Unity Bank chairman’s phone number from Akindele, his former colleague at a new generation bank.
The report said, the suspects had registered two SIM cards in the name of one of Katsina governor’s wife, Fatima Dikko Radda.
Posing as the Katsina first lady on phone, Hafsat obtained their victim’s number from the bank chief who unknown to him was speaking with an impostor.
It stated further that on getting the contact, the suspects contacted the Bureau De Change operator, Aminu Usman claiming that they had a $118,300 United States dollar to sell to him and requested that he deposit N197m, the naira equivalent.
“Investigations showed that Hafsat contacted the petitioners as one of the wives of the current governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Radda. Using that guise, she allegedly obtained the sum of N89,000,000 and another N108,000,000 from a petitioner claiming to have $118,300 to sell to them.
“Further investigations showed that Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, provided his wife with two SIM cards and registered the same with the TrueCaller app as Fatima Dikko Radda,” EFCC’s report of the fraud read.
Upon receiving the deposit, the suspects shared their loot, laundering it through various means.
The suspects’ arrest ensued after they failed to fulfil their own side of the bargain following which the victim dragged them to the anti-graft agency who brought them before a Kaduna State High Court on Thursday where they were charged with obtaining money by pretence, money laundering and stealing.
Justice A.A Bello adjourned the matter till March 17, 2025 for hearing of bail applications and ordered the remand of the four accused.
