The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned four individuals before Justice Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, over an alleged N50,030,000 fraud.
According to a statement released on Saturday via X, the defendants—Mohammed Nuhu, Babagana Maru, Ahmadu Sale, and Alhaji Mala Gana—were charged separately with criminal misappropriation and breach of trust.
One of the charges against Nuhu read, “That you, Mohammed Kolo Nuhu and Kolomi Global Link Nigeria Limited, sometime in September 2022 in Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, misappropriated and converted for your own use the sum of N18,900,000.00 only belonging to one Mohammad Baba Shettima, given to you by a non-governmental organisation, Action Against Hunger, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State (Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994) respectively.”
Maru was also charged with misappropriating N8,500,000 intended for the purchase of tricycles. His charge read, “That you, Babagana Maru, sometime in 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit; N8,500,000.00 by Imam Manu Dauda as advance payment for the purchase of tricycles, did dishonestly misappropriate the entire sum and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.”
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All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecuting counsel S.O. Saka and Faruku Muhammad requested the court to fix trial dates and to remand the defendants in a correctional facility.
Maru’s counsel, Z.M. Umaru, made an oral application for his client’s bail. Justice Maina granted Maru bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in the same amount. One surety must be a blood relative or a traditional titleholder.
The court adjourned the cases to April 26, 2025, for trial, and the defendants were remanded in Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Center.
