Court Sentences ATM Card Smugglers To Six Months In Prison

Justice Jamilu Shehu of a high court sitting in Kano has on Monday convicted and sentenced three ATM cards smugglers to six months imprisonment each on three separate charges.

The suspects: Abdullahi Usman, Musa Abubakar and Abdulwahid Auwalu were arrested by the operatives of Commission between November 24 and December 1, 2021.

Musa Abubakar who was on his way to Dubai UAE was discovered to have concealed 714 ATM cards while Abdullahi Usman was heading to Saudi Arabia and had in his possession 298 ATM cards during their arrests.

Abdulwahid on the other hand was arrested with 132 ATM cards while trying to board Ethiopian Airlines to Istanbul Turkey.

 The charge against Musa Abubakar read “That you Musa Abubakar Umar on or about 24th November, 2021 at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Kano State, while trying to board a plane scheduled for Lagos, did commit an offence to wit; retain possession of 714 (Seven Hundred and Fourteen) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards of Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith, Sterling, Access, Stanbic IBTC, First, Polaris, Fidelity Banks and FCMB respectively issued in the name of different card holders, which cards you reasonably ought to know were taken out of the possession of owners under circumstances which constitute card theft, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code and punishable under the same Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to their separate charges when it was read to them.

Consequently, Counsel for the prosecution Barrister Usman Shehu asked the court to convict them accordingly.

After listening to plea for mercy from the defense counsel Barrister A.M Bashir, Justice Shehu convicted the defendants and sentenced them to six months imprisonment each or pay a fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) only.