Two men have been convicted by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja, for impersonating officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and using the false identity to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
According to an official statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, Justice M. Zubairu convicted Haruna Mamuda and Sadiq Umar on Thursday after they pleaded guilty to a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, impersonation and unlawful representation.
The charges alleged that the convicts, alongside another suspect, Salifu Olije Mustapha, who is standing trial separately before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Kubwa, conspired in March 2026 to falsely present themselves as EFCC officers.
One of the counts further accused Sadiq Umar, also known as Abubakar Hashimu Umar, of impersonating an EFCC operative and using the assumed identity to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Following the defendants’ guilty plea, prosecution counsel, R. U. Adagba, urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Counsel to the first convict, Anamegbumam Innocent, pleaded for leniency, telling the court that his client had shown remorse, cooperated with investigators and was a family man with children.
Similarly, counsel to the second convict, Bemdo Asan, appealed for mercy, noting that his client had no previous criminal conviction.
However, the prosecution urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, arguing that the offences were serious and should serve as a deterrent.
“My Lord, the first defendant is a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army. His sentence will serve as a deterrent to society at large. I also urge the court to take into consideration that they were brought to the EFCC from the Department of State Services, where they are facing charges relating to terrorism financing and kidnapping,” Adagba told the court.
After convicting the defendants, Justice Zubairu adjourned the matter until July 22, 2026, for sentencing.
The court also ordered that both convicts remain in the custody of the EFCC pending the determination of their sentences.
