Former GM, Maiduguri Flour Mill Bags 28 years Imprisonment over N86.1 million Fraud

Former GM, Maiduguri Flour Mill Bags 28 years Imprisonment over N86.1 million Fraud

By: Our Reporter

Alhaji Ma’aji Shettima Arfo, a former Manager at the Maiduguri Flour Mills was on Wednesday sentenced by the Borno state High Court following a charge against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.

Arfo who was charged for contract fraud while he was General Manager, Maiduguri Flour Mills Ltd is to spend 28 years for his crime.

The judge, Haruna Mshelia of Borno state High Court 3, found Ma’aji Shettima Arfo guilty on a six-count by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for offences bordering on abuse of office and conferring undue advantage on himself.

The charge sheet showed that Arfo, while acting as the General Manager of the Flour Mill, between 2014 and 2020, engaged in multiple fraud in violation of Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under relevant Sections of the same Act.

Also Read: Zulum discovers extortion at Health Centre during sting…

One of the counts on which he was convicted revealed that he awarded multiple contracts to Falkwat Multilinks Limited, a private company where he was a director, to supply diesel (Automotive Gas Oil) and maize to Maiduguri Flour Mills.

Counsel to ICPC, Anas Mohammed Kolo, while arguing the case, told the court that the convict in October 2015, awarded a N4.9 million contract to Falkwat Multilinks Limited to supply 40,000 litres of diesel to the flour mills.

The court further heard how Arfo, while being a public servant, awarded several contracts between 2016 and 2017 to his private company, Falkwat Multilinks Limited, to supply maize to Maiduguri Flour Mills Limited.

He was also said to have authorized the payments of N42.1 million to his company in July 2016 for the supply of 386.45 metric tonnes of maize and another N23 million to the same company in March, 2016 to supply 306.94 metric tonnes of maize to the state-owned flour mills.

He was also convicted for approving the payment of N16 million to Falkwat Multilinks to supply 217.45 metric tonnes of maize.

Justice Mshellia, at the end of the trial found Ma’aji Shettima Arfo guilty of four counts out of six preferred against him and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each count. 

The judge ruled that prison terms will run concurrently.

Former GM, Maiduguri Flour Mill Bags 28 years Imprisonment over N86.1 million Fraud