Fake ‘Boko Haram’ Members Arraigned For N70m Defraud

Three men, Kalama Abba, Babagana Mallam Saje and Abba Sadiq, alias Sheik Abbas, were on Wednesday, January 15, arraigned on a four – count charge before the Maiduguri High Court 10 for allegedly parading themselves as Boko Haram leaders and extorting money from members of the public.

 

The men and others now at  large were accused of  defrauding  a member of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North East, Barrister Aisha Alkali Wakil, of N70 million.

 

The accused were said to have, sometimes in October, 2012, introduced themselves to Barrister Wakil as leaders of the Boko Haram sect in South and Northern axis of Borno state and were willing to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue.

 

A brief fact of the case submitted to the court by the Borno State Ministry of Justice and signed by the State Director of Public Prosecution, A.H Izge, who is prosecuting the case, said the complainant advised the accused to genuinely tow the path of peace, lay down their arms for humanity sake because innocent lives are being lost.

 

They were accused of collecting  the sum of N12.5 million from Barrister Wakil on the first date  they met her and subsequently collected amount totaling N70 million to be shared among their members under false pretense.

 

They were also accused of threatening their victim when she could no longer meet their financial demands.

 

When the charge sheet was read to them at the court, they pleaded not guilty to all the four charges. Justice Aisha Mohammed Ali of the Maiduguri High Court 10 adjourned the case to January 28 for further hearing and remanded the suspects in prison custody.