How 2 Kano men allegedly impersonated oil mogul A.A Rano for fraud

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Two men identified as Sulaiman Inuwa Zakiru and Aliyu Ahmed before has been docked in Kano for allegedly conspiring to impersonate Alhaji A.A. Rano, a prominent oil mogul and owner of A.A. Rano Oil and Gas Limited for N12 million fraud.

Zakiru and Ahmed according to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC defrauded their victims of the sum of N12 million they collected as payment for an oil allocation purportedly issued by A.A. Rano Oil and Gas.

They were arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses before Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu of the Kano State High by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

On how the fraud was executed, EFCC, in the statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said the principal suspect, Sulaiman Inuwa Zakiru defrauded the petitioner by claiming that A. A. Rano would contact him after paying the oil merchant a courtesy visit.

“Subsequently, someone purporting to be A.A Rano called the petitioner and offered him petroleum products in the sum of N12,000,000.

“After making payment to two bank accounts bearing ‘A.A Yansamary General Enterprise and Zahda General Enterprise provided by the suspects, the petitioner eventually met the real A.A Rano and intimated him about the transaction but the oil merchant denied any knowledge of the transaction.”

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Sulaiman Inuwa Zakari and Aliyu Ahmed sometime in April 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offense, to wit: cheating , by impersonation, contrary to Section 96(1) and punishable under Section 97(1) of the penal code law”.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Zarami Mohammed requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a Correctional Facility pending the commencement of trial.

Consequently, Justice Aliyu adjourned the case till May 22nd 2025 for the commencement of trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Correctional Facility.