In a significant legal development, a High Court in Kaduna State has handed down a ten-year prison sentence to Idris Musa for his involvement in ATM fraud. The court, presided over by Justice A.A Bello, delivered the verdict on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, following Musa’s guilty plea to a one-count charge related to cheating.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Musa, and the charge against him detailed the fraudulent act. Musa was accused of dishonestly inducing an individual named Idris Ismail in July 2022 by swapping his Zenith Bank ATM card, ostensibly to assist him in withdrawing money. This act was deemed false and constituted an offense under Section 306(a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017, punishable under Section 307 of the same law.
Upon the defendant’s admission of guilt, the prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka, urged the court to proceed with the conviction. Justice Bello subsequently sentenced Idris Musa to ten years in prison or an alternative fine of N200,000.
Musa’s arrest unfolded when he was caught swapping ATM cards of unsuspecting victims within a bank’s premises, pretending to assist them with the payment machine. At the time of his arrest, Musa was found in possession of 48 ATM cards from different banks. The sentencing reflects the legal system’s commitment to addressing fraudulent activities and protecting the public from such financial crimes.