EFCC secures court’s jailing of land racketeer in Maiduguri

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Baba Mele Isma’il before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court Maiduguri for land racketeering.

EFCC Head of Media and Publicity,Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement indicated that Baba Mele Isma’il was convicted on a one-count charge that bordered on obtaining Two Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2, 450,000.00) by false pretence.

The charge reads: “That you, Baba Mele Isma’il and Bulama Yahaya Jibrin (now convict) sometime in August 2016 at Maiduguri, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Two Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,450,000.00) from Mohammed Usman and Mohammed Usman Kime, under the pretence that the said amount represents payment for the purchase of a purported four (4) plots of land laying and situated at Airport Road, Maiduguri, Borno State which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The defendant had pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge preferred against him. The case went into trial with the prosecution counsel, S.O Saka presenting witnesses through whom several documents were tendered and admitted in evidence.

According to the statement, delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment.

The convict is to pay N520, 000.00 (Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) in restitution to his victim or serve two years imprisonment in default.