A doctoral student at Nasarawa State University, Bulama Abdulrahman, has been sentenced to seven years in prison without the option of a fine for falsely claiming to be an auctioneer authorized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sell government-seized properties.
Justice Nasiru Saminu of the Kano State High Court delivered the ruling after Abdulrahman was convicted of fraud and obtaining money under false pretences, amounting to ₦35 million.
Although he denied the allegations, the court found him guilty on one of two charges after reviewing evidence presented by the prosecution.
Court documents revealed that in June 2023, Abdulrahman deceived Safiyanu Abdullahi of Tauraro and Property Limited into paying ₦20 million by falsely asserting that he had EFCC’s approval to auction an incomplete, fenced property in Rijiyar Zaki, Kano.
His actions contravened Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Musa Isah, called three witnesses, while Abdulrahman was the only witness in his defence.
After evaluating the testimonies, Justice Saminu found him guilty on the second count but acquitted him on the first.
Following the conviction, the prosecution requested an appropriate sentence, while the defence pleaded for leniency, citing Abdulrahman’s academic status as a PhD student. However, the court ruled that he serve a seven-year jail term without an alternative fine.
