By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced Shehu Saleh to two years’ imprisonment for fraud involving N22 million.
The trial judge, Justice Aisha Kumaliya, delivered the judgment after Saleh was arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation.
According to the charge, Saleh in 2024, within the jurisdiction of the court, fraudulently converted N22,000,000 belonging to one Zara Betra Aliyu for his personal use. The funds were reportedly transferred into his accounts domiciled in GTBank and First Bank under the pretext of executing a contract with an international organisation.
The charge stated that the offence contravenes Sections 296 and 297 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State.
The defendant pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him. Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
In her ruling, Justice Kumaliya sentenced Saleh to two years in prison with an option of a N100,000 fine. The court further ruled that failure to pay the fine would attract an additional six months’ imprisonment.
Saleh’s conviction followed investigations which revealed that he diverted the contract funds entrusted to him for personal use, leading to his eventual arrest and prosecution by the EFCC.
