Judiciary officer bags 8-year jail sentence for defrauding 194 widows

A former Borno court official has been handed an 8-year jail sentence for defrauding 194 widows in the state.

The suspect identified as Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi) was convicted on a-two count amended charge of defrauding 194 widows to the tune of N781,800.00(Seven Hundred and Eighty one Thousand Eight Hundred Naira only).

Ramat was accused of forging and selling a Food Collection Card in the name of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to his victims and failing to deliver the items.

The charges against the suspect read;

“That you, Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi), sometime in December, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud obtained the gross sum of N520,000.00 (Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) only from 40 (Forty) women (mostly widows) of Fissabi-lillah Islamic School, under the false pretence that the entire sum represent payments for registration/eligibility for a programme by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Action Against Hunger (A.A.H) at Auno Town of Konduga L.G.A, Borno State, which payment will entitle the said women to be issued a special card for various food items which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

“That you, Bashir Mohammed sometime in July, 2019, at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of his honourable court being entrusted with certain properties to wit; 600 (six hundred ) cartons of Spaghetti worth N1,860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira), by one Garba Babakura Lawan did dishonestly converts to your own use, the entire sum of N1,860,000.00 (One Million Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira), only being value of the said 600 (six hundred cartons of Spaghetti and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State and Punishable under Section 312 of the same Law”

Justice Umaru Fadawu handed an 8 year prison sentence to the suspect for each of the charges he pleaded guilty to. The sentences would run concurrently.

Ramat was also ordered to make a restitution to the 194 widows of Fissabi-lillah Islamic School by refunding them the N781,800. The Judge was quoted saying;

“The court hereby sentences you to eight years imprisonment on count one. You are hereby sentenced to eight years imprisonment on count two and the years to run concurrently.

“The court orders you, Ramat Mohammed (alias Gaddafi), to pay the aggregate sum of N781,800.00 to 194 women of Fissabi-lillah Islamic School or nine years in default.

“The prison term shall run consecutively.”