Court convicts two for N44m fraud in Maiduguri

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Bukar Muhammad before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court Maiduguri to one-year imprisonment.

The defendant was first arraigned on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, on a charge of obtaining by false pretence and later re-arraigned on an amended charge for the offence of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N43,328,000.00(Forty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Twenty-Eight Thousand Naira)

His journey to prison started when the Commission received a petition by one Alhaji Ali Mohammed who alleged that he entrusted the above-mentioned sum to the defendant for safekeeping but converted it to his own use.

The count reads: “That you, Bukar Mohammed sometime in 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently induced one Alhaji Ali Mohammed to deliver to you monies in Euros and Naira to the equivalent sum of Forty-three Million, Three Hundred and Twenty-eight Thousand Naira (N43,328,000.00) only under the false pretence of collecting same for safekeeping which facts you knew to be false and 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.”

The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the one-count charge prompting a full trial of the case.

Counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed alongside S.O Saka presented three witnesses and tendered three exhibits as evidence.

Justice Kumaliya in her judgement, found the defendant guilty and convicted him to a fine of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira only) or one year imprisonment. She further ordered the convict to pay a balance of N13,234,100 to his victim or serve an additional seven years imprisonment.

In another development, one Musa Bello was convicted and sentenced to one-year imprisonment by Justice Umaru Fadawu of Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a one-count charge bordering on cheating to the tune of N1,300,000.00 (One Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira).

The charge read: ‘’That you, Musa Bello on or about 9th March 2023, in Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly induced one Aminu Ahmed and others under the guise of facilitating food distribution items from a Non-Governmental Organization, Save the Children, and collected the total sum of N1, 300,000.00 (One Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 320 (a) of Borno State Penal Code Law Cap. 102 and punishable under section 322 of the same law”.

The defendant pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge.

Counsel for the prosecution, Faruq Muhammad presented one witness and urged the court to convict him accordingly.

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).