Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, has ordered the remand in Prison of humanitarian aid administrators, Tahiru Daura and Aisha Wakil, over an alleged fraud of sixty six million naira, pending perfection of their bail.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned the duo on a three-count charge of conspiracy and cheating before the court.
The EFCC said the agency acted on a petition written by CEO/managing director of AMTMAT Global Ventures, Ali Tijjani, against Complete Care and Aids Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, NGO, run by the defendants.
According to the charge sheet, the petitioner alleged that on September 7, 2018, Complete Care and Aids Foundation awarded his company a contract to supply it processed maize grain, referred to as “biski” in native language, worth fifteen million naira.
He said the second defendant, Ms Wakil, received the commodity on behalf of Complete Care and Aid Foundation upon delivery.
Mr Tijjani further stated his company upon the request of the defendants equally processed and paid for their trip to Morocco to the tune of fifty one million naira, a cost they refused to defray.
The EFCC said the alleged offence is contrary to Section 320(a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecution counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, therefore, applied for a trial date and the remand order of the defendants pending the determination of the case.
However, counsel for the defendants, H. Waziri and B.G Zanna, made oral bail applications on the ground that the EFCC earlier granted them an administrative bail.
Justice Kumaliya granted them bail in the sum of thirty million naira with two sureties in like sum.
PR/EFCC
