June 15, (THEWILL) – A Borno State High Court has convicted and sentenced Aisha Wakil, popularly known as “Mama Boko Haram” and two others, to five years imprisonment.
She was sentenced alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, by Justice Aisha Kumaliya.
The verdict came at the end of a trial, which began on September 14, 2020, when the defendants were re-arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and acquiring money by false pretence to the tune of N71.4 million.
The convicts, according to a charged court document, ran the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, a non-profit organisation.
“The CEO was Aisha Alkali Wakil, the program manager was Tahiru Saidu Daura, and the country director was Prince Lawal Shoyode”, the court document read.
They allegedly approached Saleh Ahmed Said of Shuad General Enterprises Ltd, under the false pretence of negotiating a supply contract to have 3,000 bags of beans worth N71,400,000 delivered to them.
The Maiduguri zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned the defendants in September 2020, on a two-count charge.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Tahiru Saidu Daura, Aisha Alkali Wakil and Prince Lawal Shoyode, whilst being programme manager, chief executive officer 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, induce one Saleh Ahmed Said of Shuad General Enterprises Ltd, to deliver to you 3,000 (Three Thousand) bags of beans worth N71,400,000 (Seventy-One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira only), 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 respectively.”
A second count also reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saudi Daura, Prince Lawal Shoyode, whilst being chief executive officer, programme manager and country director, respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (a non-governmental organisation) and Saidu Mukhtar (at large), sometime in July 2018, at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N11,000,000.00 (Eleven Million Naira only), from one Muhammed Ambare of Mohammed Ambare Ventures, under the false pretence of executing a purported contract of supply, installation and servicing of two units of x-ray machine Model 1800, which you knew to be false and thereby 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.”
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsels, Benjamin Manji and Khalid Sanusi, to ask for a trial date and prayed that the defendants be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
At the trial, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, the prosecution’s lawyer, called four witnesses and provided many papers that were admitted as exhibits during the trial.
In his judgement on Tuesday, Justice Kumaliya held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Kumaliya, said the Offences are punishable under Sections 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
They were sentenced to five years in prison without the possibility of a fine by the judge.
The court also ordered they pay N30,500,000 in compensation to their victim, warning they will be sentenced to an additional ten years in prison if they do not comply.
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