Justice Aisha Ibrahim of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, has convicted and sentenced the duo of Abdullahi Suleiman and Ahmad Yahaya to various jail terms.
Suleiman and Yahaya were arraigned on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, on a one-count separate charge bordering on cheating and criminal misappropriation to the tune of Seven Million Three Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand Naira (N7, 378,000.00)
The charge against Suleiman reads: “That you, Abdullahi Suleiman and Ismail Luka (now at large) and Ibrahim Musa (now at large) sometime in 2026 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: cheating where you induced one Mustapha Baraka Abubakar to deliver to you the sum of Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00) under the guise that the said amount represent payment for an exchange with United State of American Dollar which you are yet to deliver and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 59(b) and punishable under Section 60(2) of the Penal Code Law and other Matters Connected therewith Law, 2023 of Borno State.”
While the charge against Yahaya reads: “That you, Ahmad Yahaya, sometime in 2025 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly induced Abba Goni Hassan, to deliver to you the sum of N2, 378,000.00 (Two Million Three Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand Naira) via your account number 0049529965 domiciled with Union Bank and from his account number 0154525522 domiciled with Union Bank respectively, under your instruction where you presented yourself as the Chief Executive officer (C.E.O) of Siliki Millennium Oil, a company registered in Nigeria under the guise that the said amount represented payment for a supply of food stuff, flour and other food related items, to individuals, markets and stores, which you are yet to deliver and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 309(a) and (b) and punishable under Section 310 of the Penal Code Law and other Matters therewith Law, 2023 of Borno State.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to their lone charge when it was read to them.
Counsel to the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, prayed the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Ibrahim thereafter convicted the defendants and sentenced Suleiman to one year’s imprisonment with an option of a fine of N25,000.00. Yahaya was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with an option of N200, 000.00 fine.
Abdullahi’s journey to the Correctional centre started when he collected money for exchange with the United States dollar and diverted the N5m to his personal use.
Yahaya’s ordeal started when he collected money from the petitioner for the supply of foodstuff, flour and other food-related items, to individuals, markets and stores and diverted the money to his own use.
