Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri has sentenced Kalthum Mustapha to three years in prison over a N1.3 million fraud case.

This was disclosed in a statement shared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) via its official platform on Friday. Kalthum was initially arraigned on May 13, 2024, on a one-count charge for defrauding three individuals of N1.35 million.

She was accused of collecting the funds under the pretense of supplying Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (commonly referred to as tammua packages), which she neither delivered nor refunded.

The charge stated: “That you, Kalthum Mustapha, sometime in June 2022 at Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly induced the duos of Muhammad Lawan Sani, Abubakar Umar, and Yusuf Jafar to deliver to you the sum of N1,350,000 for the supply of RUTF, 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.”

Although she pleaded not guilty, the prosecution team, led by Mukhtar Ahmed and Faruku Muhammad, called witnesses and presented documentary evidence during the trial.

Delivering judgment, Justice Kumaliya sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment, offering her the option of a N50,000 fine or six months in prison in default.

Additionally, the court ordered her to refund N635,000 to her victims or serve an extra two-year jail term.