Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced a man, Bukar Umar Alhaji, to two years imprisonment for defrauding a land buyer of N2.1 million in a case of criminal misappropriation and false pretence.
The judgment, delivered on Friday, November 14, 2025, by Justice Muhammad Maina, brings an end to a year-long trial initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Alhaji was first arraigned on November 27, 2024, after investigators uncovered that he collected N2,100,000 from a buyer, Ibrahim Isma’il, under the guise of selling two plots of land located in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State—land he had no legal ownership of.
Despite pleading not guilty, the prosecution—led by counsel Faruku Muhammad—presented six witnesses and tendered four exhibits, convincing the court that the transaction was fraudulent from the onset. The court found that Alhaji, using NIN 9584243514, worked alongside an accomplice identified as Babagoni Umar, who is currently at large, to obtain the money under false pretence.
Justice Maina held that the defendant dishonestly converted the funds for personal use, contrary to Sections 308 and 309 of the Borno State Penal Code Law. The judge thereafter sentenced Alhaji to two years in prison, with an option of a N200,000 fine.
Additionally, the court ordered him to refund N750,000, which remains the outstanding balance owed to his victim.
According to the EFCC, Alhaji’s fraudulent scheme began in 2022 when he sold the land and subsequently refused to refund the buyer after the truth about ownership emerged. The conviction highlights ongoing efforts by the anti-graft agency to curb rising cases of land fraud and protect unsuspecting buyers across the state.
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