Kaduna-based DJ jailed for impersonating Buratai, Dangote’s daughter

A Kaduna-based disc jockey identified as Blessed Michael has been jailed for 6 months for impersonating Tukur Buratai, former chief of army staff (COAS), and Mariya Dangote, the daughter of Aliko Dangote.

Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), confirmed Michael’s sentence in a statement on Monday.

The statement said the verdict on the DJ follows his prosecution before Mohammed Tukur of the Kaduna state high court on one count amended charge bordering on cheating by impersonation and employing the use of cloned Facebook accounts.

Michael was said to have used a clone page of Buratai to solicit funds from those seeking enlistment into the army.

He also left a number in his cloned account of Dangote’s daughter, inviting his victims to claim monetary prizes.

According to the statement, the victims of Michael’s scam alerted the commission of his fraudulent activities.

This, it added, led to his arrest by operatives of EFCC’s Kaduna zonal office.

During the court session, Michael pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months imprisonment without a fine.

The charge brought against the defendant had read: “That you Blessed Micheal, (M) of No.2 Okoro, Benin City, Edo state sometime in January 2021 in Kaduna within the judicial division of this honourable court did commit cheating by impersonation by pretending to be Tukur Yusuf Buratai…

“…and Mariya Dangote on Facebook accounts you created using your iPhone 6, Infinix  Hot 5 and in such assumed character obtained MTN recharge card worth One Thousand Naira ( N1000) only from unsuspecting persons.

“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under section 309 of the same Law.”