A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and
\nsentenced one Allen Abel to a cumulative term of 125 years in prison for
\nallegedly fraudulently obtaining food items valued at N12, 879,800.00
\n(Twelve Million Eight Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand Eight Hundred
\nNaira) on the pretext of executing a fake contract for Federal Ministry
\nof Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development
\n(FMHDSD)’s School Feeding scheme under the Social Intervention Programme
\n(SIP) of the Federal Government.<\/p>\n
Abel was arraigned before Justice Aisha Kumaliya on Thursday, July 2,
\n2020 alongside Suleiman Adamu, Usman Adamu and Kingsley Madubuagu by the
\nMaiduguri zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
\non a 20-count charge that borders on forgery, possession of false
\ndocuments, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.<\/p>\n
Count three of the charge reads: “That you, Allen Abel, Suleiman Adamu
\nand Usman Adamu sometimes between February and March, 2020 at Maiduguri,
\nBorno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with
\nintent to defraud, obtained 1313 (One Thousand Three Hundred and
\nThirteen) cartons of spaghetti and 480 (Four Hundred Eighty) bags of
\nrice both worth N12, 110,000.00 (Twelve Million One Hundred Ten Thousand
\nNaira) only from one Lelle Hyelwa Sini of Lelle Foresight Construction
\nCo. Ltd. under the false pretence of executing a contract of supply of
\nfood items, purportedly awarded by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian
\nAffairs Disaster Management and Social Development (Federal Government
\nSchool Feeding Programme, under the Social Intervention Programme, SIP),
\nwhich you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to
\nSection 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud related
\nOffences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”<\/p>\n
Abel pleaded guilty to the twenty count charges upon arraignment and
\nJustice Kumaliya convicted him accordingly and adjourned to September 30
\nfor sentencing.<\/p>\n
As the resumed hearing on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Justice Kumaliya
\nsentenced Abel to 7 years imprisonment each on counts 1 to 6, and 9
\nwithout an option of fine;\u00a0 5 years imprisonment each on counts 7, 8 and
\n11-20 respectively without an option of fine. All sentences are to run
\nconsecutively.<\/p>\n
In addition, the convict is to restitute Lele Foresight Construction
\nCompany the total sum of N12, 110,000.00 (Twelve Million One Hundred Ten
\nThousand Naira) and HIE Global Investment Limited the sum of N769,800
\n(Seven Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Naira).<\/p>\n
In another development, Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High
\ncourt, Maiduguri has sentenced one Babagana Abatcha to two years
\nimprisonment with an option of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand
\nNaira) fine.<\/p>\n
The convict was arraigned by EFCC’s\u00a0 Maiduguri Zonal office on a
\none-count charge of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N9,
\n000,000.00 (Nine Million Naira).<\/p>\n
The charge reads: “That you, Babagana Abatcha sometime between 2017 and
\n2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this
\nHonourable Court, being entrusted with care over certain properties to
\nwit: N9,000,000.00 (Nine Million Naira) only, by one Umar Gujja Ali
\nbeing payment for the execution of a purported contract awarded to you
\nby a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Maiduguri, did dishonesty
\nmisappropriate the entire sum and thereby committed an offence contrary
\nto Section 311of the Penal Code Laws of Borno State Cap.102 Vol.3 of
\n1994 and punishable under Section 312 of the same Law.”<\/p>\n
Upon his arraignment, the convict pleaded not guilty to the one-count
\ncharge, which prompted the prosecution to present witnesses and tendered
\nseveral exhibits in proving its case .<\/p>\n
Delivering his judgment on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Justice Fadawu
\nsentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment with an option of
\nN500, 000.00 fine.<\/p>\n
The court further ordered the convict to pay Seven Million Nine Hundred
\nThousand Naira in restitution to the nominal complainant or, in default,
\nserve six years imprisonment and the years shall run consecutively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced one Allen Abel to a cumulative term of 125 years in prison for allegedly fraudulently obtaining food items…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n