Dismissed soldier, 1 other Arraigned For N31m Fraud In Maiduguri

Justice Musa Mustapha of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced one Tijjani Bulama to six-monthimprisonment on a one count amended charge of criminal misappropriation.

A statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Mr Bulama, a POS operator, was prosecuted following his investigation by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the commission.

According to the statement, the convict was investigated for criminally diverting a sum of N1.5m which a customer had asked him to transfer to another recipient.

The amended charge read, “That you, Tijjani Mohammed Bulama on 26th day of May, 2022 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit; First Bank Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) belonging to one Alhaji Kachallah Bukar to transfer the sum of N1, 500,000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to one Abdullahi Musa with account No. 228877146 domiciled in Zenith Bank, instead of which you transferred the said sum to your friend’s account, one Garba Ramadan Abba with account No. 6320571863 domiciled in Fidelity Bank without his consent and did dishonestly misappropriated the entire sum of N1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

The defendant pleaded ‘guilty’ to the amended charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali-Ahmed, prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

The defendant’s counsel, M. A Adam urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the nominal complainant has been fully restituted.

Justice Mustapha convicted and sentenced Mr Bulama to six-month imprisonment with option of   N20, 000 fine.

In another development, the Maiduguri Zonal Command on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, arraigned ex- soldier, Sgt. Ado Kabiru before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on one count charge of obtaining N29, 934,500.00 (Twenty Nine Million Nine Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand Five Hundred Naira) by false pretence.

Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Sgt. Ado Kabiru and Jibrin Mahmud (now at large) sometimes in October, 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain the gross sum of N29, 934, 500.00 (Twenty Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand Five Hundred Naira) from one Dr. Mohammed Ramat via your two different account numbers: 1. Account number 0454731634 domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank and 2. Account Number 234484021 domiciled with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and account number 1384601713 domiciled with Access Bank bearing Jibrin Mahmuda (now at large) under the false pretence which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge.

Justice Kumaliya adjourned the case till 5th and 6th August, 2022 for commencement of trial and ordered the remand of the defendant in prison custody.