‘Mama Boko Haram’ sent to prison over ‘N111m fraud’

A high court in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, remanded Aisha Wakil, better known as “Mama Boko Haram”, to a custodial centre in the state on Monday.

Aisha Kumalia, the presiding judge, gave the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) arraigned Wakil alongside Tahir Saidu Daura and Lawal Shoyade, on an amended five-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and cheating to the tune of N111, 650,000.

The EFCC had said the defendants, sometime in 2018, conspired and falsely presented to one Mohammad Umar Mohammed, purported contracts for installation and servicing of 10 pieces of Chison 600A, 2009 version deluxe ultra sound system and the supply of white beans through their non-governmental organisation (Complete Care and Aid Foundation).

Count five of the charge read: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Prince Shoyade, whilst being chief executive officer, programme manager and country director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (a non-governmental organisation) and Saidu Muktar (now at large) sometime in October, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, induced one Mohammed Umar Mohammed of Nyeuro International Limited to deliver to you 3,000 (three thousand) bags of 50kg white beans worth N65,000,000.00 (Sixty Five Million Naira) under the guise of executing a purported contract of supply of the said beans which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Borno State Penal Code Laws Cap 102.”

They pleaded not guilty to all the charges and Benjamin Manji, prosecution counsel, applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendants in the Nigerian Correctional Centre pending the determination of the case.

The judge ordered the defendants to be remanded at a custodial centre and adjourned the case till February 10, 2020 for commencement of trial.