BY OWOLOLA ADEBOLA
Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, on Tuesday, May 16, 2020, sentenced and convicted an ex- Borno State judiciary officer, one Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi), to 16 years imprisonment, on a-two count amended charge for defrauding 194 widows to the tune of N781, 800.00(Seven Hundred and Eighty one Thousand Eight Hundred Naira only).
The Maiduguri Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned the convict before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, on two count-charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence and Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related offences.
The convict forged and sold a Food Collection Card, in the name of a non- governmental organisation( NGO), to his victims, 194 widows, to the tune of N781, 800, 000 and failed to deliver food items to them, leading to his arrest and arraignment in court.
Count one of the charge read: “That you, Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi), sometime in December, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud obtained the gross sum of N520,000.00 (Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira), only from 40 (Forty) women (mostly widows) of Fissabi-lillah Islamic School, under the false pretence that the entire sum represent payments for registration/eligibility for a programme by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Action Against Hunger (A.A.H) at Auno Town of Konduga L.G.A, Borno State, which payment will entitle the said women to be issued a special card for various food items, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
After the charge was read to the convict, he pleaded guilty to the charges.
Justice Fadawu sentenced him to eight years imprisonment on count one and another eight years on count two and ordered that the prison terms should run concurrently.
Justice Fadawu said, “the court hereby sentenced you to (8) eight years imprisonment on count one. You are hereby sentenced to eight (8) years imprisonment on court two and the years to run concurrently”,
“The court orders you Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi) to pay the aggregate sum of N781, 800.00 (Seven Hundred and Eighty one Thousand Eight Hundred Naira) to 194 (One Hundred and Ninety Four) women of Fissabi-lillah Islamic School or (9) years in default. The prison term shall run consecutively.”
In another development, Justice Fadawu sentenced and convicted one Bashir Mohammed to two years imprisonment, under section 312 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State, for criminal breach of trust.
Mohammed was convicted on one count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N1, 860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only)
The convict allegedly received 600 cartons of Spaghetti worth N1, 860,000.00 (One Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only), allocated to him to sell and remit the proceeds to the complainant, but he dishonestly converted the money for his own use.
The count read: “That you, Bashir Mohammed sometime in July, 2019, at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of his honourable court, being entrusted with certain properties to wit; 600 (six hundred ) cartons of Spaghetti worth N1, 860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira), by one Garba Babakura Lawan, did dishonestly converts to your own use, the entire sum of N1,860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira), only being value of the said 600 (six hundred cartons of Spaghetti and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State and Punishable under Section 312 of the same Law”.
When the charge was read to him, the convict pleaded guilty to the charge.
Prosecution counsel, Benjamin Manji, prayed the court to sentence him as charged.
Justice Fadawu sentenced Mohammed to two years imprisonment under section 312 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State, for criminal breach of trust and ordered him to pay the sum of N1, 860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only) to the complainant as restitution or serve a term of six years in default, which should run concurrently.