Court Jails Woman Six Months for N3.5m Fraud

Justice B. T. Zannah of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced Yagana Musa Mohammed to six months imprisonment for criminal misappropriation of N3.5 million.

The convict was arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one count amended charge.

According to the charge, Mohammed dishonestly misappropriated and converted to her personal use the sum of N3.5 million belonging to Mohammed Tukur Yaji. The money was reportedly collected under the false pretence that she would secure employment for the victim in the State of Qatar.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to her. Following her plea, the prosecution counsel, A. D. Abdulmalik, urged the court to convict her accordingly.

Counsel to the defendant, H. A. Aliyu, pleaded for leniency, informing the court that his client was remorseful and had restituted the petitioner.

Justice Zannah thereafter convicted and sentenced her to six months imprisonment, with an option of N50,000 fine.

The court heard that the convict neither secured the promised job for the victim nor initially returned the money after collecting it, leading to her prosecution by the EFCC.