The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Command, on Tuesday, arraigned five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and a bank manager over an alleged diversion of N1.2 billion public funds.
The suspects are Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, all officials of the Katsina Revenue Board, and Adam Alhassan Albashir, a Public Sector Relationship Manager with First Bank, who were arraigned before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court.
The EFCC, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the suspects are facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and criminal diversion of N1,235,330,000. The funds, it added, were tax remittances from international humanitarian organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), meant for the Katsina State Government.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to convert the funds for personal use between January 2022 and August 2024.
One of the charges reads: “That you Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi and Adam Alhassan Albashir between January, 2022 to August, 2024 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of the Katsina State High Court… unlawfully converted to your personal uses the tax payments meant for the Katsina State Government and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State and punishable under Section 298 of the same law.”
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the arraignment, prosecution counsel Musa Isah requested a trial date, while defence counsels moved separate bail applications for their clients. Mr Isah opposed the bail requests.
Ruling on the applications, Justice Danladi granted each defendant bail in the sum of N5 million, with one surety in like sum. The surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and present verifiable title documents to a landed property within the same area.
The court adjourned the matter to 27 October for commencement of trial.
Preliminary investigations by the EFCC revealed that Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and now Permanent Secretary of the Revenue Board, authorised the opening of a Sterling Bank account in the name “BOIRS.” He reportedly appointed Mr Yaro and Mr Mamman as the sole signatories to the account.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the account served as a conduit through which the diverted funds were funneled to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned by Nura Lawal, one of the defendants and an Assistant Director in the Revenue Board.
The EFCC added that NADIKKO and Mr Lawal played a central role in laundering the stolen funds, which were traced to multiple accounts linked to the suspects.
