Juliana Francis
Aisha Alkali Wakil, otherwise known as Mama Boko Haram, alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, were on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the convicts were arraigned before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri by the EFCC’s Maiduguri Zonal Command and were convicted by the judge after a trial that started in 2020.
The defendants were sentenced to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Uwujaren said: “The judgment was the climax of a process that commenced on Monday, September 14, 2020, when the defendants were re-arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N71,400,000.”
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, whilst being chief executive officer, programme manager and country director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (a non-governmental organisation), sometime in the year 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, induced one Saleh Ahmed Said of Shuad General Enterprises Ltd to deliver to you 3,000 bags of beans worth N71,400,000, under the false pretence of executing a contract for the supply of same, which you made the said Saleh Ahmed Said to believe that you had the capacity to pay the entire contract sum upon execution, which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Sections 1(1) (b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges. During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, presented four witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted as exhibits.
Delivering judgement today, Justice Kumaliya held that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant and consequently pronounced them guilty as charged. The judge sentenced them to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
The Judge further ordered the convicts to pay the sum of N30,500.000.00 as compensation to their victim. In default, they shall serve an additional 10-year prison term.
