Court sentences school proprietress to one-year jail for N5m fraud in Borno

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced one Josephine Udeh to a one-year jail term for obtaining N5.059 million by false pretence.

The Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had brought a one-count charge against Udeh, who was the Proprietress of Dala Standard Secondary School, Maiduguri.

She was accused of collecting the money meant as WAEC registration fees from 284 students of the school and converted it to her private use.

Upon her arraignment on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, she pleaded not guilty but during the trial, the prosecution counsel, Benjamin Manji tendered 10 witnesses and 10 exhibits, which compelled her to enter into a plea-bargain with the EFCC.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Manji prayed the court to substitute an earlier charge filed on April 9, 2019, with an amended charge of July 31, 2019.

The amended charge reads: “That you, Josephine Udeh being the Proprietor of Dala Standard Secondary School, Maiduguri, between 2017 and 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this court, did dishonestly misappropriate N5.059m.

“The money was meant for 2017/2018 WAEC registration fees for 284 students of the said Dala Standard Secondary School, Maiduguri and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law cap 102 Laws of Borno State and punishable under Section 309.”

She pleaded guilty to the amended charge in line with the plea bargain agreement she had opted for.

But following the guilty plea, the prosecution counsel prayed the court to convict her as charged.

However, the defence counsel, B.G Sanda, prayed for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy, as the defendant had already repayed the money.

Consequently, Justice Kumaliya pronounced her guilty as charged with a fine of N150, 000 and one-year jail term in default of payment.