A Maiduguri High Court in Borno State has sentenced Aisha Wakil, popularly known as “Mama Boko Haram,” to five years imprisonment for her involvement in a N6 million car scam.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday, November 28, 2024, by Justice Aisha Kumaliya, also convicted Wakil’s co-defendants, Tahiru Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, sentencing them to five years imprisonment each without an option of a fine.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted the trio on charges of obtaining a 2012 Toyota Camry valued at N6 million under false pretenses. The petitioner alleged that the defendants claimed they intended to purchase the vehicle but neither paid for it nor returned it. During the trial, the EFCC presented three witnesses and submitted several documents as evidence to substantiate the charges.
In addition to the prison terms, Justice Kumaliya ordered the defendants to jointly and severally restitute the balance of N3.5 million to the petitioner. Failure to do so will result in an additional five-year jail term for each defendant. This marks the sixth conviction for Wakil in less than three years.
Her previous sentences include: – June 2022: Five years imprisonment over a N71.4 million fraud. – August 2022: Seven years imprisonment for N66 million fraud. – September 2022: Seven years imprisonment for another N15 million fraud. – December 2022: Ten years imprisonment in a N120.5 million fraud case. – February 2024: Ten years imprisonment for conspiracy, cheating, and obtaining N40 million by false pretense.
Nicknamed “Mama Boko Haram” due to her self-proclaimed advocacy for dialogue with the insurgent group, Wakil’s repeated fraud convictions have drawn widespread public attention and criticism.
