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A High Court in Abuja has convicted Haruna Mamuda and Sadiq Umar for impersonating officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to defraud members of the public.
Justice M. Zubairu convicted the pair on Thursday after they pleaded guilty to a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, impersonation and unlawful representation.
Credit: Punch Newspaper
The charges alleged that the convicts, alongside Salifu Olije Mustapha, who is currently facing trial before another FCT High Court in Kubwa, conspired in March 2026 to falsely present themselves as EFCC officers in violation of the Penal Code Act.
One of the charges also accused Umar, also known as Abubakar Hashimu Umar, of using the false identity of an EFCC officer to deceive and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Following the defendants’ guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, R. U. Adagba, urged the court to convict them in line with the law.
Counsel to the first convict, Anamegbumam Innocent, appealed for leniency, telling the court that his client had shown remorse, was married with children and had cooperated with investigators.
Similarly, counsel to the second convict, Bemdo Asan, pleaded for mercy, noting that his client had no previous criminal record.
In response, the prosecution asked the court to impose an appropriate sentence, arguing that the first convict, a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army, deserved a punishment that would serve as a deterrent.
The prosecution also informed the court that the defendants were transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services, 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 both convicts remain in the custody of the EFCC pending the hearing.
