The State High Court in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced two fraudsters: Mohammed Idris and Ibrahim Magaji to eight years imprisonment for obtaining money under false pretences.
The Maiduguri Zonal Command of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured their conviction on Thursday, October 5, 2023.
Idris was arraigned before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court on one-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N1 million, while Magaji was arraigned on one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N11.5 million.
The charge against Idris read: “That you, Mohammad Idris sometime in July, 2019 at Maiduguri Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N1 million from Nura Bello as purchase price for Mercury chemicals which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee fraud and Other Fraud related Offences Act, 2006.”
The charge against Magaji read: “That you, Ibrahim Suleiman Magaji, on or about August 2021 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly misappropriated and converted for your own use the aggregate sum of N11.5 million belonging to Umara Bukar under the guise that you will use the said money to purchase and supply 24 tons of Hibiscus flower (Zobo) to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State (Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994) respectively.”
The anti-graft agency in a statement issued Monday said while Idris pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against him, Magaji changed his initial “not guilty” to “guilty” in the course of the trial.
It added that prosecution counsel, S.K Saka, in the trial of Idris, presented five witnesses and tendered nine documents as evidence.
It noted that Justice Fadawu, in his judgment, found him guilty, convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment.
The court further ordered him to pay his victim the sum of N1m and in default, serve an additional three years.
The agency added that Magaji was initially tried by EFCC counsels: Mukhtar Ahmed, S.O Saka and F. Muhammad and presented three witnesses and tendered several documents as evidence.
It said: ‘His counsel, M. Ibrahim, however, prayed the court later to allow the defendant to change his plea.
“Magaji pleaded guilty to the charge and Justice Fadawu thereafter convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment without an option of fine.
“The Judge further ordered the convict to pay the balance of N8 million to his victim or serve three years jail term.”