Borno State High Court in Maiduguri has again convicted and sentenced Aisha Wakil aka Mama Boko Haram to five years imprisonment for fraud.
Mama Boko Haram gained prominence for her efforts in mediating between the government and Boko Haram insurgents during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Ms Wakil, who has been serially convicted of fraud, was jailed in the latest case alongside two other officials of her non-governmental organisation (NGO), Complete Care and Aid Foundation.
In the court’s judgement, both the programme manager and country director of the NGO Tahiru Daura and Prince Shoyode respectively were similarly jailed five years each.
A statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the prosecuting agency, said the trial judge Aisha Kumaliya handed down the judgement convicting and sentencing the three of them on November 28.
EFCC accused them of defrauding Bukar Kachalla of Abks Ventures, by dishonestly inducing him to deliver to them a Toyota Camry 2012 Model worth N6 million. EFCC said they failed to pay for or return the car.
On September 1, 2020, EFCC arraigned Wakil, alongside her two co-defendants on four amended counts of cheating involving N6 million, conspiracy and giving false information.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the trial, the prosecuting lawyers Mukhtar Ahmed and Shamsudeeb Saka presented three witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits.
In its judgement on November 28, the trial court convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The judge further ordered the defendants to jointly and severally make restitution of a balance of N3.5 million to the petitioner or alternatively should each serve an additional five-year jail term.
This latest conviction is Mama Boko Haram’s sixth in recent years.
