Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court has convicted and sentenced Kalthum Mustapha to three years in prison for defrauding three men of N1.35 million. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reported that Mustapha collected the money from her victims under the pretext of supplying Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) but failed to deliver the goods or refund the payment.
The offence, which took place in June 2022 in Maiduguri, involved victims identified as Muhammad Lawan Sani, Abubakar Umar, and Yusuf Jafar. Mustapha was charged under the Penal Code for dishonestly inducing the men to part with their money. She initially pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.
During the trial, EFCC prosecutors Mukhtar Ahmed and Faruku Muhammad presented witnesses and tendered documentary evidence against the defendant. After reviewing the case, Justice Kumaliya found her guilty of the offence.
The court sentenced Mustapha to three years in prison, with an option of paying a N50,000 fine instead of serving six months. Additionally, she was ordered to repay N635,000 to her victims or face an extra two years in prison if she failed to do so.
