N40m Fraud: Court Jails Mama Boko Haram, 2 Others 10 Years

Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, has promised to give more attention to cultural festivals to promote peace, unity and brotherliness among the people of the state.

He made the pledge during the launch of a book on the history of Yauri Kingdom from 1411 to 2014 in Yauri Emirate of the state.

At the event which was part of the third edition of Rigata Cultural Festival organised by Yauri Emirate, Governor Idris said festivals remained key to people’s identity.

The governor recalled that he earned different traditional titles from different emirates across the state in view of his respect for traditional institutions.

He enjoined those who made pledges during the launch to redeem them so that it would serve the purpose it was meant for.

Over N85 million was realised during the launch.

BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja

Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced the trio of Aisha Alkali Wakil (aka Mama Boko Haram), Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Soyade to 10 years imprisonment.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement that the defendants were jailed on Monday, February 12, upon being arraigned by the Maiduguri zonal command of the EFCC on Thursday, March 5, 2020 on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N40 million.

Count two of the charge reads: “That you Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade whilst being the chief executive officer, programme manager and country director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, (a non-governmental organisation) and Saidu Mukhtar (at large) sometime in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this court did with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N40, 000, 000 from one Bashir Abubakar, the chief executive officer of Duty Free Shop Ltd under the false pretence of executing a purported contract for the supply of five  X-ray Machines 1900 with solar energy which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (1) 1 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

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

The counsel for the prosecution, A.I Arogha presented four witnesses and tendered 17 exhibits before the court.

Consequently, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced them to ten years imprisonment for the offence of conspiracy. The court further sentenced the defendants to ten years imprisonment for the offence of obtaining by false pretence and ordered them to jointly and severally pay the sum of N40 million to Bashir Muhammad.

“The prison term shall run concurrently on the expiration of all prison terms imposed on the convicts by any court,” the judge said.

The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner alleged that they swindled him through a purported contract for the supply of five X-ray machines 1,900 with solar energy to a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Complete Care and Aid Foundation, worth N40 million. They neither supplied the machines nor returned the contract sum to the petitioner.