This was disclosed in a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dele Oyewale, late on Monday night.

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC had earlier secured a conviction against Wakil and her accomplices for falsely obtaining N15m from one Bukar Kachalla of Hamiza Global Resources Limited under the guise of supplying three units of Chemistry Analyser Solar Energy Brand Model 1800 (UK version).

The action was said to be contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Former EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, sentenced Wakil and the others, to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses.

In his statement, Oyewale said, “The defendants were jailed upon being arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC,  on Thursday, March 5, 2020, on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N40m.

Count two of the charge reads: “That you Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura, and Prince Lawal Soyade 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 N40m  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 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.”

The defendants however pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them, while the counsel for the prosecution, A. I Arogha, presented four witnesses and tendered 17 exhibits before the court.

The statement also read that Justice Fadawu “convicted and sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment for the offence of conspiracy. The court further sentenced the defendants to 10 years imprisonment for the offence of obtaining by false pretence and ordered them to jointly and severally pay the sum of N40m to Bashir Muhammad.

“The prison term shall run concurrently on the expiration of all prison terms imposed on the convicts by any court.”

The convicts’ journey to the correctional centre began when a petitioner alleged that they swindled him through a purported contract for the supply of five X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy to a Non-Governmental Organisation,  Complete Care and Aid Foundation, worth N40m.

They neither supplied the machines nor returned the contract sum to the petitioner.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement on Friday that Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sentenced Wakil and the others to seven years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.

According to him, the judgment was delivered on Thursday.

He explained that the convicted were prosecuted by the anti-graft agency for falsely obtaining N15m from one Bukar Kachalla of Hamiza Global Resources Limited under the guise of supplying three units of Chemistry Analyser Solar Energy Brand Model 1800 (UK version).

Wakil was said to have committed the offence while she was Chief Executive Officer of Complete Care and Aid Foundation.

The action was said to be contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

“The judge sentenced them to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine each for the offence of obtaining money by false pretence.

“He ordered the convicts to jointly restitute the sum of N15,000,000 to their victim, in default of which they are to serve an additional five years’ prison term.”

The suspects who were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were accused of defrauding one Mohammed Umar Mohammed by presenting purported contracts for installation and servicing of 10 pieces of Chison 600A, 2009 version deluxe ultrasound system and the supply of white beans through their non-governmental organization (Complete Care and Aid Foundation).

The charge read; “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Prince Shoyade, whilst being chief executive officer, program manager and country director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (a non-governmental organisation) and Saidu Muktar (now at large) sometime in October 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, induced one Mohammed Umar Mohammed of Nyeuro International Limited to deliver to you 3,000 (three thousand) bags of 50kg white beans worth N65,000,000.00 (Sixty Five Million Naira) under the guise of executing a purported contract of supply of the said beans which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 320(a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Borno State Penal Code Laws Cap 102.”

Justice Aisha Kumalia of the Federal High Court in Maiduguri, ordered that the suspects who pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges be remanded in a custodial center while she adjourned the case till February 10, 2020 for the commencement of trial.