EFCC Arraigns Two for Internet Fraud in Kaduna
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned Nathaniel Makama Zabrang and Husain Umar Bawa before Justice M.J. Zubairu of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State for fraud.
The two are facing prosecution on separate charges, bordering on impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence.
Count two of Zabrang’s charge reads: “That you, Nathaniel Makama Zabrang, (a.k.a Alicia Smith), male, between January and June, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated one Alicia Smith (a citizen of United States of America) on ‘Instagram’ (an online social media application) and benefitted the total sum of N10,019,028 (Ten Million, Nineteen Thousand and Twenty Eight Naira) from several unsuspecting victims and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
Count one of Bawa’s charge reads: “That you, Husain Umar Bawa (a.k.a Bernard Lewis), male, between January and December, 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated Bernard Lewis (a citizen of United States of America) on “Facebook” ( an online social media application) and benefitted the sum of N8,613,989 ( Eight Million, Six Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty Nine Naira, only) from Kathleen Harnandez ( a woman from United States America) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
They pleaded “not guilty” when their charges were read to them, following which the prosecution counsel, K.S. Ogunlade asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Centre, NCC,
Justice Zubairu, after listening to both the prosecution and defence counsel, adjourned the case till August 11, 2025 for ruling on the defendants’ bail application and ordered that they be remanded in NCC, Kaduna, pending ruling on their bail applications.
Zabrang and Bawa were among those arrested by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, in Kaduna Metropolis, following credible intelligence that linked them with fraudulent internet activities.
