KATSINA: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has arraigned five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and one bank staff member for allegedly diverting over N1.2 billion in public funds.
EFCC in a statement on its Facebook Page said the six suspects appeared before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court on Tuesday, facing a seven-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.
The defendants were identified as Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir, a Public Sector Relationship Manager with First Bank.
According to the EFCC, the money was diverted between January 2022 and August 2024. The funds were meant to be tax payments from international organizations such as the World Health Organization WHO, Medicins Sans Frontiers, and ALIMA.
The charge against the defendants alleges that they “unlawfully converted to your personal uses the tax payments meant for the Katsina State Government,” in an act contrary to the Penal Code Law of Katsina State.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, requested a trial date, while defense counsels separately applied for bail.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Danladi granted bail to each defendant in the amount of N5 million with one reliable surety.
Each surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and own a landed property, with the title documents verified by the court registrar.
The case has been adjourned to October 27, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
The EFCC’s investigation revealed a complex scheme to launder the funds. According to the Commission, Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and current Permanent Secretary of the Board, allegedly authorized the opening of a “BOIRS” account at Sterling Bank.
Sanusi Mohammed Yaro and Ibrahim Mamman were designated as sole signatories to the account.
The investigation found that the account was used to funnel funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company allegedly owned and controlled by Nura Lawal, an Assistant Director of Career Skills/Staff Welfare at the Board.
The laundered funds were then traced to the various bank accounts of the suspects.
