'Sai Mallam' Cult: Sokoto Court Jails Two Money Doublers, Orders Forfeiture of N7 Million Mercedes

EFCC secures conviction of fraudsters who claimed supernatural powers to defraud victims across West Africa

A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced two men to two years imprisonment each for cheating, after they pleaded guilty to defrauding victims under the guise of possessing magical powers to multiply money.

Justice Muhammad Saidu Sifawa convicted Labaran Aliyu and Abdulraham Lawal on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, following their prosecution by the Sokoto Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission .

The Charges

Aliyu was accused of obtaining N7,000,000 from unsuspecting victims in 2025 by falsely representing himself as having the power to double money. He used the proceeds to purchase a Mercedes GLK with chassis number WDCGG8HB5AF315979 .

Lawal, operating a similar scheme, fraudulently obtained N110,000 from victims under the same false pretense of being able to multiply cash .

Both defendants pleaded guilty to one-count separate charges of cheating, contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 311 .

The Sentences

Justice Sifawa sentenced Aliyu to two years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the Mercedes Benz GLK—purchased with crime proceeds—to the victim .

Lawal received the same two-year sentence with N100,000 fine option and forfeited a Samsung S10E phone, which was deemed proceeds of crime, to the government .

'Sai Mallam' Cult Connection

Prosecution counsel Aliyu Bokani Usman told the court that EFCC investigations revealed both convicts belong to the infamous "Sai Mallam" cult operating within Sokoto and its environs .

The syndicate is notorious for enticing unsuspecting members of the public by posing as powerful marabouts capable of making people wealthy through supernatural means. Their criminal network extended beyond Nigeria's borders, drawing victims from Niger Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso .

The convictions represent the latest success in the EFCC's sustained crackdown on cross-border financial crimes and fraudulent networks operating in the region.