A Kano State High Court has sentenced Bulama Abdulrahman to seven years in prison without the option of a fine for impersonating an auctioneer authorized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sell forfeited properties on behalf of the Federal Government.

Justice Nasiru Saminu delivered the ruling after finding Abdulrahman guilty of fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses amounting to ₦35 million. The prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Musa Isah, presented three witnesses, while the defendant testified in his defense.

Though Abdulrahman pleaded not guilty, the court found him guilty on the second charge while acquitting him on the first. Justice Saminu sentenced him to seven years in prison and ordered full restitution of ₦35 million to the victim. Failure to repay the amount would result in an additional seven-year prison term.

According to the EFCC, Abdulrahman, in June 2023, falsely claimed to be an authorized auctioneer and obtained ₦20 million from Tauraro and Property Limited under the pretense of selling an incomplete building in Rijiyar Zaki, Kano. The fraudulent act was in violation of Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act, 2006.

The defense counsel pleaded for leniency, citing the defendant’s status as a PhD student at Nasarawa State University, but the court upheld the conviction.

The EFCC revealed that Abdulrahman is a repeat offender, having been convicted by the same court on June 28, 2021, for a similar offense.