The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wednesday, arraigned one Aisha Alkali Wakil also known as Mama Book Haram alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura, before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a three-count charge of conspiracy and cheating to the tune of N66 million.
A press statement by EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, in Abuja, said prosecution of the duo followed a petition by the CEO/Managing Director of AMTMAT Global Ventures, one Ali Tijjani, against Complete Care and Aids Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), run by the defendants.
He said the petitioner alleged that, on September 7, 2018, Complete Care and Aids Foundation awarded his company a contract to supply it processed maize grains known as ‘biski” worth N15 million, which Wakil received on behalf of Complete Care and Aid Foundation upon delivery.
According to Tijjani, his company upon the request of the defendants equally process and funded their trip to Morocco to the tune of N51 million, a cost they refused to defray.
He said the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges, upon which the Prosecution Counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, asked for a trial date and for the remand of the defendants in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Centre (NCS), pending the determination of the case.
However, Counsels for the Defendants, H. Waziri and B.G Zanna, made oral bail applications for the defendants, on the ground of the administrative bail, earlier granted to them by the EFCC.
Justice Kumaliya granted them to bail in the sum of N30 million with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties he said, must be someone at the level of a permanent secretary in the civil service, who owns a landed property in Maiduguri GRA, and must submit the title document of the property to the registry of the court.
The judge further declared that the bail will be revoked on the failure of the defendants to attend trial.
She adjourned the matter till January 13, 2020, for commencement of trial.
