Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court, Kano, has convicted one Bashir Musa of Hotoro Dan Marke Quarters of Kano City on two counts of personation and obtaining money by false pretence.


The convict was arrested by Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on August 27, 2012 following a petition by one Shetima Yusuf of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Quarters, Kano. The complainant alleged that the convict had offered to sell to him, four plots of land which he claimed belonged to his father, Alhaji Musa Usman.

Upon agreement, Shatima raised a First Bank Cheque of N600, 000. 00 and FCMB Cheque of N300, 000. 00 both dated 30th June, 2012 in favour of the convict, and promised to pay the balance of N600, 000.00 in seven days. But to his dismay, the convict, Bashir Musa, informed him that the land had been sold by his father, but promised to give him another land. He later showed him another plot of land at Mariri Quarters for N2, 000, 000.00, for which the complainant paid an additional N1,000,000, only to be told later that the land belongs to another person.

Investigation revealed that the father of the convict never owned any land in that area.

Count one read “That you Bashir Musa, on or about 30th June, 2010, in Kano within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of One Million Naira (1,000,000. 00) only from Shettima Yusuf under the false pretence of selling to him four plots of land located at Mariri area of Kano, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

In his judgement, Justice Riman stated the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the accused accordingly.

The convict was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on each count but the sentences are to run concurrently. He was however given an option of fine of N350, 000 on each count.