A woman identified as Kalthum Mustapha has been convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for ₦1,350,000 fraud.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kalthum was sentenced by Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
EFCC revealed that Kalthum was first arraigned on Monday, May 13, 2024, on a one-count charge of cheating to the tune of ₦1,350,000.
The charge reads: “That you, KALTUM MUSTAPHA, sometime in June, 2022, at Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced Muhammad Lawan Sani, Abubakar Umar, and Yusuf Jafar to deliver to you the sum of ₦1,350,000.00 (One Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for the supply of ready to use Therapeutic Food RUTF (a.k.a tammua packages) which you are yet to pay and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty, and as the trial proceeded, prosecution counsel Mukhtar Ali Ahmed and Faruku Muhammad presented witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits.
In her judgement, Justice Kumaliya convicted and sentenced Kalthum, giving her the option of a ₦50,000 fine or, in default, six months’ imprisonment.
The judge further ordered the convict to pay the sum of ₦635,000 to her victims or to serve additional two years imprisonment.
The Commission reiterated that the convict was arrested for obtaining ₦1,350,000 from her victims for the supply of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), also known as tammua packages.
“She neither delivered the food packages nor returned the money to them,” it added.
