EFCC arraigns two for false information, arrests nine suspected internet fraudsters in Kaduna

Stanley Ihedigbo

Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the duo of Shehu Abdu and Isah Saidu before Justice A.Isiaka for giving false information to the Commission.

Also, the agency arrested nine suspected internet fraudsters in the Sabo area of the state capital.

According to the Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale, the defendants who were arraigned on Monday, June 2 2025 are being prosecuted for falsely presenting themselves as friends to Ji Zhou, a Chinese, who was arrested by the commission for illegal mining of solid minerals and economic sabotage.

Abdu and Isah while standing as sureties to Zhou for EFCC’s administrative bail, claimed that he was well known to them and promised to produce him whenever he was needed by the Commission and agreed to forfeit the sum of N10m bail bond if they fail to do so. The suspect was released to them based on the assurances. However, they failed to produce the suspect when he was needed, disclosing that they didn’t know him, but were rented by the suspect through his lawyer with the sum of N40,000 to stand as his sureties.

The charge against Abdu reads: “That you, Shehu Abdu, on or about the 8th of May, 2023, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court gave false information to a public servant which made him release one Ji Zhou on administrative bail, an act which he would not have done had the true state of facts were known to him and which information you knew was false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 105(a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 105 of the same Law.”

The charge against Saidu reads: “That you, Isah Saidu on or about the the10th of May 2023, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, gave false information to a public servant which made him release one Ji Zhou on administrative bail, an act which he would not have done had the true state of facts were known to him and which information you knew was false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 105(a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 105 of the same Law.”

The nine suspected internet fraudsters pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which prosecution counsel, Y.J Matiyak Esq urged the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Kaduna pending their trial.

Justice Isiaka adjourned the case till June 16, 2025, for the ruling on their bail application and ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kaduna Correctional Centre.

The suspects were arrested on Monday, June 2, 2025

Following actionable intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.

Items recovered from them include nine iPhones, 17 Android phones, four power banks, three necklaces, two bangles and one headphone.

They will be charged in court as soon as investigations are concluded.