An Abuja High Court has convicted two men for impersonating personnel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and using the false identity to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Justice M. Zubairu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jikwoyi, presided over the matter involving Haruna Mamuda and Sadiq Umar, who were charged with criminal conspiracy, impersonation and unlawful representation.
According to the EFCC, the defendants, alongside another suspect, Salifu Olije Mustapha, who is standing trial separately before the FCT High Court in Kubwa, conspired in March 2026 to falsely present themselves as officers of the anti-graft agency.
The prosecution said the act contravened Section 96 of the Penal Code Act and is punishable under Section 132 of the same Act.
The Commission stated that one of the charges specifically accused Sadiq Umar, also known as Abubakar Hashimu Umar, of impersonating an EFCC officer and using the assumed identity to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 132 of the Penal Code Act.
During their proceedings on Thursday, the two defendants pleaded guilty to all five counts when the charges were read to them. Following their guilty plea, prosecuting counsel, R.U. Adagba, urged the court to convict them accordingly.
In separate pleas for leniency, counsel to the first defendant, Anamegbumam Innocent, told the court that his client had shown genuine remorse, cooperated with EFCC investigators and was a married man with children. Counsel to the second defendant, Bemdo Asan, also appealed for mercy, arguing that his client had no previous criminal conviction and deserved a lighter sentence.
Opposing the plea for leniency, Adagba urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, arguing that the first defendant, a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army, should receive a punishment that would serve as a deterrent to others.
The prosecutor also informed the court that the defendants were brought from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where they are facing separate charges relating to alleged terrorism financing and kidnapping. Those allegations are separate from the EFCC impersonation case before the court.
In his ruling, Justice Zubairu adjourned the matter until July 22, 2026, for sentencing and ordered that the two convicts remain in EFCC custody pending the determination of their sentences.