Funke Busari
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal office, on Thursday dragged one Aisha Alkali Wakil popularly known as Mama Boko Haram alongside Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade on a fresh two-count charge involving an alleged N25million fraud.
The trio were arraigned before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.
Count two of the charges reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade whilst being the 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 Maiduguri, Borno State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Twenty Five Million Naira (N25,000,000.00) from one Adam Mustapha Mohammed, the Chief Executive Officer of Kauram Global Enterprises under the false pretence of executing a purported contract for the supply of Seven (7) X-ray machines Model 1600 with Solar Energy Brand, 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 were also arraigned on another separate two-count charge involving an alleged N40million fraud.
Count two reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade whilst being the 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 Maiduguri, Borno State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Twenty Forty Million Naira (N40,000,000.00) from one Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Executive Officer of Duty Free Shop Ltd under the false pretence of executing a purported contract for the supply of Five (5) X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy 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.”
While Wakil pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges, the second and third defendants refused to take their pleas.
Justice Fadawu, however, entered a “not guilty” plea for the two defendants.
In view of the pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Fatsuma Muhammad asked for a trial date in order for the prosecution to prove its case against them.
“We pray the court to remand the defendants in the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of the case,” Muhammad said.
Justice Fadawu, thereafter, adjourned until March 12 and 16, 2020 for commencement of trial and ordered that they should be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional service
It will be recalled that Wakil, Daura, Shoyade and Mallam Adamu Sani are standing trial for a N42million fraud, before Justice Jude Dagat of a Federal High Court, Maiduguri, while Wakil and Daura are facing corruption charges involving a N66million fraud before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of a Borno State High Court.
