The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, July 27, 2026, arraigned one Sadi Babale before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri.

The defendant was arraigned on a one- count charge bordering on  criminal misappropriation to the tune of N19, 000,000.00 (Nineteen Million Naira).

The charge reads: “That you, Sadi Babale, sometimes in September, 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did dishonestly misappropriated the total sum of N19, 000,000.00 (Nineteen Million Naira) money belonging to one Alhaji Tijjani Mohammed and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 296 and punishable under section 297 of the Penal Code Laws of Borno State.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Counsel to the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed prayed for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional facility. In the same vein, counsel to the defendant, J. Yakubu, applied to move a motion for the bail of the defendant.

Justice Kumaliya thereafter adjourned the matter till July 28, 2026 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the remand of the defendant at  Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Facility.

The defendant’s journey to the Correctional facility started when the sum of N19, 000,000 was paid to him by the petitioner for the purchase of four plots of land which were not genuine.   Babale allegedly  converted the money for his own personal use.