Court jails ‘Mama Boko Haram’ five years over N71.4 million fraud

The High Court of Borno State in Maiduguri has sentenced Aisha Wakil (a.k.a Mama Boko Haram to five years’ imprisonment over fraud.

Ms Wakil was convicted on a two-count charge of fraud by the trial judge, Aisha Kumaliya.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned Ms Wakil alongside Tahiru Daura and Lawal Shoyode in September 2020 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining over N71milllion by false pretence.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The EFCC closed its case against the defendants on January 1, 2021 after the prosecution counsel, Muktar Ahmed, presented five witnesses and tendered several documents admitted in evidence as exhibits.

Also in June last year, the court had closed the defence of Ms Wakil, following her refusal to speak, claiming that she was ill.

READ ALSO: Again EFCC arraigns Mama Boko Haram on fresh fraud charges

The judge, in her judgement Tuesday, held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.

Upon conviction, the judge sentenced the defendants to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

EFCC said Ms Wakil, better known as, Mama Boko, was the chief executive officer (CEO), of a non-government organisation, Complete Care and Aid Foundation.

The convicts were alleged to have induced one Bilkisu Abubakar to execute a supply contract for Complete Care and Aid Foundation, owned by Mama Boko Haram, and refused to pay after the contract was executed.

One of the charges 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, 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.”

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