Court Jails Company CEO for N33.5m Fraud in Maiduguri - Another Arraigned for Alleged N5.6 Fraud

Justices Mohammed Maina of the Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri, has convicted and sentenced one  Alhaji Bashir Tanko to twenty one years imprisonment. 

Tanko was re-arraigned on  November 18, 2024 by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one count amended charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N33.5m (Thirty Three Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira)

The charge reads: “That you, Bashir Tanko Tahir whilst being the Chief Executive Officer and Alter Ego of SAHEL BUILDING AND ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, a company registered in Nigeria and Sahel Building and Engineering Company Limited and Musa Umaru (now at large), sometimes in 2019 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did dishonestly misappropriated the entire sum of N33,500,000.00 (Thirty Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), out of N38,500,000.00 (Thirty Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira)  being paid to your Company account domiciled with Access Bank with account number; 0024320657 bearing Sahel Building Engineering Limited, by a Non-Governmental Organisation ACTED being the money belonging to one ANNUR ADAM and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and punishable under section 309 of the same Law.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty  to the charge when it was read to him and counsel for the prosecution Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, S.O Saka, Faruk Muhammad and Abdulmalik D. Aliyu presented six witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits in the  course of the trial.  

Justice Maina convicted and sentenced Tahir to one year imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine. The judge further ordered the convict to restitute the petitioner the sum of N33,500,000.00 (Thirty Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand), or in default to serve twenty years imprisonment.

The convict’s road to the Correctional Centre began when he dishonestly diverted monies sent to his company account after the execution of a contract awarded to the petitioner who used the convict's company. 

 In a related development,  the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 arraigned one Ibrahim Aisami before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri. 

The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N5, 600,000.00 (Five Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) 

The charge reads: "That you, Ibrahim Aisami with National Identification Number 12587398155, sometimes in 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did obtain the gross sum of N5,600,000.00 (Five Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) belonging to Kellu Mohammed which money was transferred from Modu Mohammed account number; 2085061819 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc into your account; 2081085253 Ibrahim Aisami domiciled with Zenith Bank purportedly as money for the purchase of land situated at Jere Local Government with allocation number BO/89983/17 which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under 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 pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him . Thereafter, prosecution counsel, Aliyu D. Abdulmalik prayed for a trial date and to remand the defendant in a Correctional Centre. 

Justice Kumaliya thereafter adjourned till May 26, 2025 for hearing of bail and remand the defendant in Maiduguri Correctional Centre.

His journey to the correctional facility started when he received the sum of N5.6m for the purchase of a plot of land situated at Jere Local Government Area which he did not buy.