Aishal Wakil, widely known as Mama Boko Haram, the Chief Executive Officer of the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, along with two senior officials from her organization, has been sentenced to five years in prison for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme amounting to over N6 million.
The other two individuals convicted in the case are Tahiru Saidu Daura, who served as the program manager of the NGO, and Prince Lawal Shoyode, the country director of the organization.
The trio was found guilty of fraud after they took a 2012 Toyota Camry, valued at N6 million, from a petitioner under the pretense of purchasing the car for a contractual purpose. However, they failed to either purchase the vehicle as promised or return it to the rightful owner, leading to their arrest and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Thursday, November 28, 2024, Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri delivered the verdict, sentencing each of the defendants to five years in prison. This sentence was handed down after they were found guilty of four amended charges, including cheating, conspiracy, and providing false information. These charges stemmed from their actions between October and November 2018, when they allegedly deceived a businessman, Alhaji Bukar Kachalla of ABKS Ventures Limited, into handing over the Toyota Camry under the false pretense of executing a contract to purchase the car. Instead, the defendants neither acquired the vehicle nor returned it to Kachalla.
The charge, as outlined in the case, reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Prince Lawal Shoyode, while being Chief Executive Officer, Programme Manager, and Country Director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, a non-governmental organization, sometime between October and November 2018 in Maiduguri, Borno State, dishonestly induced one Alhaji Bukar Kachalla of ABKS Ventures Limited to deliver to you a 2012 Toyota Camry worth N6,000,000.00 (Six Million Naira), under the guise of executing a contract for the purchase of the said car. By so doing, you committed an offence under Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”
Despite the serious charges, the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the allegations. The prosecution, led by legal representatives Mukhtar Ali Ahmed and Shamsudeeb Olayinka Saka, presented the case by calling upon three witnesses and submitting various documents as evidence. After careful consideration, Justice Kumaliya concluded that the evidence overwhelmingly supported the EFCC’s claims, leading to the conviction of the three individuals.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the defendants to jointly and severally repay the sum of N3.5 million to the petitioner, Alhaji Bukar Kachalla, as restitution for the fraudulent act. If they fail to repay this amount within a specified timeframe, they will face an additional five years in prison, further compounding their legal troubles.
The case highlights the continued efforts by the EFCC to hold individuals accountable for corruption and fraud, regardless of their status or position. It also serves as a reminder of the potential legal consequences of engaging in fraudulent activities, particularly for those in positions of trust within NGOs and other organizations. The sentencing of Aishal Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Prince Lawal Shoyode marks a significant development in the fight against financial crimes in Nigeria, particularly those that exploit the trust of others for personal gain.
