Kebbi court jails two car dealers for money laundering
A Federal High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, has convicted and sentenced two motor dealers, Mamuda Aliyu and Hamza Muhammad Mahuta, for money laundering.
Justice Emmanuel Gakko delivered the judgment on Tuesday, July 22, after the duo were found guilty on a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Sokoto Zonal Directorate.
The court heard that Aliyu and Mahuta, who operated under the name Dogaro Ga Allah Motors, failed to comply with mandatory customer identification and transaction reporting requirements between 2019 and 2021. They also accepted a cash payment of N15 million from the Ministry of Animal Health for a Toyota Hilux, exceeding the legal threshold for cash transactions without going through a financial institution.
The defendants initially pleaded not guilty, but after eight months of trial and presentation of evidence by EFCC counsel Habila Jonathan, the court found them guilty.
Justice Gakko sentenced them to a fine of N250,000 each on counts one and two. On counts three to ten, they were fined N100,000 each or face one year in prison per count. The court also ordered them to comply with the Money Laundering Act within two months.
The EFCC had arrested Aliyu and Mahuta for failing to register with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML, and for not reporting transactions above the legal threshold as required by law.
Kebbi court jails two car dealers for money laundering
