Borno official, accomplice, jailed for stealing rice meant for IDPs

A Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri, on Thursday sentenced two men to two years in prison for stealing rice donated by foreign donors to internally displaced persons.

The two convicts are Umar Ibrahim, a supervisory councilor in Mafa local government area, and Ali Zangebe, a local politician from the same local government area.

They were charged alongside Shettima Maina, a former council chairman of Mafa Local government.

But Mr. Maina, who was the first defendant, was declared “at large” throughout the hearing of the case, as was in the custody of the military for allegedly hiding a wanted Boko Haram kingpin in his house.

The judge, Fadawu Umar, found the other two persons guilty of the three-count charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In addition to their jail terms, they also fined N2 million each.

They were charged for converting N1.4 million being the proceeds from the sale of the 180 bags of rice stolen from the IDP camp.

They were also accused of converting N585, 000 from the sale of yet another 65 bags of rice stolen from the same IDP camp.