Court Jails Man 125 Years Over N12.9m School Feeding Fraud

A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced one Allen Abel to a cumulative term of 125 years in prison for fraudulently obtaining food items valued at N12.8 million.

Abel reportedly collected the sum on the pretext of executing a fake contract for the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development’s School Feeding scheme under the Social Intervention Programme  of the Federal Government.

Abel was arraigned before Justice Aisha Kumaliya on July 2 alongside Suleiman Adamu, Usman Adamu and Kingsley Madubuagu by the Maiduguri zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 20 counts of forgery, possession of false documents, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, titled, ‘Court jails man 125 years over fake Social Intervention Programme contract in Maiduguri.’

Abel pleaded guilty to the charges read to him and Justice Kumaliya convicted him accordingly, and adjourned till September 30 for sentencing.

As the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Kumaliya sentenced Abel to seven years imprisonment each on counts 1 to 6, and 9 without an option of fine;  five years imprisonment each on counts 7, 8 and  11-20 respectively without an option of fine. All sentences are to run consecutively.