Alleged N1.2bn Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Five Katsina Revenue Officials, Bank Staff

Kaduna

By JUMOKE SANNI

The Kano Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 arraigned five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and one bank staff before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court sitting in Katsina, Katsina State.

They were arraigned on seven-count charges bordering on conspiracy and diversion of public funds totaling N1, 235, 330,000 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Naira) accruing to the state from the World Health Organization, Medicins Sans Frontiers, Alliance for International Medical Action, ALIMA.

The defendants are, Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi and Adam Alhassan Albashir (identified as a Public Sector Relationship Manager with First Bank).

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, being staff of Board of Internal Revenue Services (BOIRS), Katsina and Public Sector Relationship Manager of First Bank, in such capacity conspired among yourselves to commit an unlawful act to wit: 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 each of the charges preferred against them.

Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, prayed the court for a trial date to prove the case against the defendants.