The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of Aliyu Ibrahim, Isiayaka Mohammed, Tukur Aliyu and a company, Marhaba Motors Nigeria Limited for offences bordering on criminal conspiracy and forgery.

The convicts were arraigned before Justice Z.B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on October 11, 2018, for selling a Space Wagon car to their victim using fake vehicle documents.

Their journey to jail began in 2016 when they sold the said vehicle to the victim for N1,320,000 with fake Customs duty particulars. Their motive was however, uncovered when the victim was accosted by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service on a routine check who impounded the vehicle having discovered the fake papers.

The convicts had pleaded “not guilty” when they were arraigned, but later changed their pleas to being “guilty” to an amended charge on December 11, 2018.

Justice Abubakar thus found them guilty and sentenced them to five years imprisonment on each of the counts, with an option of N50,000 fines on each of the count.

Prior to their conviction, they had initiated a plea bargain, in which they obliged to refund N1 million to the victim.