Mama Boko Haram Convicted Again for Fraud, Faces Five Years in Jail
Aisha Alkali Wakil, widely known as ‘Mama Boko Haram’ for her years of mediating peace between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram insurgents, has been sentenced to five years in prison for fraud.
Wakil, who is also the CEO of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, alongside her Programme Manager, Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Country Director, Prince Lawal Shoyode, was convicted by Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, on Thursday, November 28, 2024. The trio was found guilty of four charges, including cheating, conspiracy, and providing false information, to the tune of ₦6 million.
The case involved allegations that in 2018, the defendants dishonestly induced one Alhaji Bukar Kachalla of Abks Ventures Limited to deliver a Toyota Camry 2012 model worth ₦6 million under the guise of executing a contract for the purchase of the car. According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the car was neither purchased nor returned.
During the trial, the prosecution presented three witnesses and several documents to establish the defendants’ culpability. Justice Kumaliya, while delivering her verdict, sentenced the three to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
In addition, the court ordered the defendants to jointly restitute the balance of ₦3.5 million to the petitioner. Failure to do so would result in an additional five-year jail term for each convict.
“This court finds that the defendants dishonestly induced the petitioner to part with his property under false pretenses, contrary to Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code,” Justice Kumaliya stated.
Who is Mama Boko Haram?
Aisha Wakil earned her moniker due to her deep connections with Boko Haram fighters, many of whom she claimed to know as children. For years, particularly during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, she leveraged these relationships to mediate hostage negotiations, broker peace deals, and encourage militants to surrender their weapons. Her work garnered her both praise and controversy as violence in Northern Nigeria persisted.
A History of Fraud Convictions
This is not the first time Wakil has been convicted of fraud. In June 2022, she was sentenced to five years imprisonment for her involvement in a ₦71.4 million fraud. In August 2022, she received another seven-year sentence for defrauding victims of ₦66 million. A month later, in September 2022, she was again jailed for seven years over ₦15 million fraud.
In December 2022, Wakil was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in a ₦120.5 million fraud case. Earlier this year, in February 2024, she, along with her co-conspirators Daura and Shoyode, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for obtaining ₦40 million under false pretenses.
Despite her work in peacebuilding, Wakil’s repeated fraud convictions have overshadowed her reputation, raising questions about the duality of her public and private roles.
