Mama Boko Haram Faces Justice: 10-Year Sentence for N40m Fraud
In a landmark ruling, Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court delivered a verdict on Monday, February 12, 2024, sentencing Aisha Wakil, known as Mama Boko Haram, along with Tahiru Daura and Lawal Soyade, to 10 years in prison. The judgment followed their conviction for falsely obtaining N40m in a fraudulent scheme.
The conviction, as disclosed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, resulted from their actions in falsely claiming to supply five X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy to the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization.
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The court found them guilty of violating Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
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Former EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, stated that Justice Aisha Kumaliya also sentenced the defendants to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses.
The convictions were secured by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC, who had initially arraigned the defendants on Thursday, March 5, 2020.
The charges, as outlined in court documents, revealed that the trio, operating under the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, falsely obtained N40m from Bashir Abubakar of Duty-Free Shop Ltd. They purportedly claimed to execute a contract for the supply of five X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy, a contract they failed to fulfill.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty,” but after a thorough trial that involved four witnesses and 17 exhibits presented by the prosecution, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense. Additionally, they were ordered to jointly and severally pay the sum of N40m to Bashir Muhammad.
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The court clarified that the prison terms would run concurrently on the completion of any other prison terms imposed by other courts.
The conviction stemmed from a petitioner’s claim that the convicts swindled him through a fictitious contract, failing to deliver the promised machines or refund the contract sum.
