Dije Sale, a Borno lady, has been convicted to 34 years in jail.
Justice Umaru Fadawu of the State High Court in Maiduguri found her guilty of forgery, falsification of documents, and collecting N66 million through deception.
The case was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The convict forged a “Purchase Order” and used the same to defraud the nominal complainant under the guise of executing a purported contract awarded to her by FHI 360, a non-governmental organization.
Dije was arraigned on July 1, 2020 on a three-count charge but pleaded “not guilty”
The prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed called four witnesses and tendered several documents admitted in evidence.
Justice Fadawu said the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. “The court is convinced that the defendant is guilty of all the three counts as charged.”
The judge convicted the defendant and sentenced her to fourteen years on count one, ten years on count two, ten years on count three.
The jail term will be served concurrently. Dije was ordered to pay N54million to the complainant in restitution.
“If she defaults, the convict shall serve 10 years imprisonment which will run consecutively”, Fadawu ruled.