The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Aisha Malkohi and her husband, Abubakar Mahmoud, who is still at large, with misappropriating N410,518,000.
According to a statement issued on the EFCC’s official X handle on Monday, they were charged on Friday, December 8, before Justice Aisha Mahmud of the Kano State High Court sitting in Kano.
Malkohi was arrested in Kano by EFCC operatives in response to a petition from two petitioners, Farida Ibrahim, and Ibrahim Abdulrahman, alleging that she conspired with her husband and defrauded them of their hard-earned money by supplying them with cars, gold, electronics, and kitchen utensils from Saudi Arabia.
The statement read, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Aisha Salihu Malkohi (a.k.a. Ummitah, Arab Money) and her husband, Abubakar Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud( at large), on five-count charges bordering on misappropriation of funds to the tune of N410,518,000.”
“One of the charges reads ‘that you Aisha Salihu Malkohi and Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud (now at large) on or about 2022 in Kano, Kano State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did obtain the sum of Two Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand Naira only belonging to Farida Ibrahim between 6th January to 16th December 2022 into account bearing Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud domiciled at Zenith Bank that the said money was paid to you for the purchase and supply of 64 cars, from Saudi Arabia facts which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a)&(b) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act,2006”.
Furthermore, the statement that the defendant pleaded not guilty to all five counts was read to her.
It read, “In view of her plea, EFCC counsel Zarami Mohammed prayed the court for a trial date. Defense counsel G.I. Abubakar moved a bail application for his client, which was opposed by Mohammed.
“Justice Mahmud thereafter adjourned the matter till December 15, 2023, for a ruling on the bail application. She also remanded the defendant in EFCC custody pending a ruling on her bail application.”
