Alleged N30b Fraud: EFCC Arrests Ex-Government Contractor in Kaduna

A suspect

By TONY ADAMS

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government contractor and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Formal Act Legacy Limited for alleged multiple fraud to the tune of N30 billion.

Though his contract with the state government had been terminated, no less than 251 complaints received by the Commission against the suspect pointed to the allegation that Ibrahim is parading himself to unsuspecting victims as consultant for the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State as well as that of the United Charity Foundation, UCF, FICCORD with affiliation to Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs Office.

It is also alleged that he informed his victims that he had a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the Kaduna State government for the purpose of sourcing intervention grants from global donor agencies for the funding of LGA projects in the state and supporting the actualization of SDGs within the state.

While investigations revealed that the suspect is not a consultant to UCF, his 2020 MoU with Kaduna State government was terminated by the state government in October 2023 as a result of default on the terms of the MoU by the suspect.

However, despite the termination of the MoU, the suspect intentionally engaged in unauthorised award of fictitious contracts to the tune of approximately N30 billion (Thirty Billion Naira) by convincing his contractor victims to supply items meant for construction of hospitals, motorised boreholes, hospital beds and mattresses, drugs and vaccines which he would allegedly receive on behalf of the Kaduna State government, sold some and diverted their proceeds to his personal use.