Court Jails “Mama Boko Haram” in N40m Fraud Case

Aisha Alkali Wakil, better known as “Mama Boko Haram” and two others have been sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri, on Monday, February 12, 2024, convicted and sentenced her and two others – Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Soyade.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s statement disclosed that the issue started from a petition of alleged swindling by the trio.
According to the petitioner, Bashir Abubakar, the defendants defrauded him through a purported contract for the supply of five X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy to a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Complete Care and Aid Foundation, worth N40m, but neither supplied the machines nor returned the contract sum to him.

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC, therefore, arraigned them on March 5, 2020 on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of Forty Million Naira.
The defendants were jailed for 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.”

While they pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them, Counsel for the prosecution counsel, A.I Arogha presented four witnesses and tendered seventeen exhibits before the court.
Justice Fadawu eventually convicted and sentenced them to ten years imprisonment for the offence of conspiracy and ten years imprisonment for the offence of obtaining by false pretence.
“The prison term shall run concurrently on the expiration of all prison terms imposed on the convicts by any court”, the Judge said.

The judge also ordered “Mama Boko Haram” and the other two defendants to jointly and severally pay the sum of N40m to Bashir Muhammad.