By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Baba Mele Isma’il before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court Maiduguri.
The defendant was convicted on a one-count charge that bordered on obtaining N2,450,000 by false pretense.
The charge reads: “That you, Baba Mele Isma’il and Bulama Yahaya Jibrin (now convict) sometime in August 2016 at Maiduguri, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N2,450,000 from Mohammed Usman and Mohammed Usman Kime, under the pretense that the said amount represents payment for the purchase of a purported four (4) plots of land laying and situated at Airport Road, Maiduguri, Borno State which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant had pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge preferred against him. The case went into the trial with the prosecution counsel, S.O Saka presenting witnesses through whom several documents were tendered and admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment.
The convict is to pay N520, 000 in restitution to his victim or serve two years imprisonment in default.
