The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned six persons, including top officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and a First Bank employee, over their alleged involvement in a N1.2 billion fraud linked to funds from international donor agencies.
The suspects — Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir — were on Tuesday, brought before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court by the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Directorate.
They were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, diversion of public funds, and money laundering.
The Commission said the diverted funds were tax payments generated from international health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), between January 2022 and August 2024.
The EFCC alleged that the accused persons opened a private Sterling Bank account in the name of the Board of Internal Revenue Services (BOIRS), which they used to divert N1,235,330,000 meant for the Katsina State Government.
The Commission further revealed that the account was used to funnel the funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned by one of the accused, Nura Lawal, who is an Assistant Director in charge of Career Skills and Staff Welfare at the Board.
According to the EFCC, Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and now Permanent Secretary of the Board, initiated the process by authorising the opening of the fraudulent bank account. Sanusi Mohammed Yaro and Ibrahim Mamman were listed as the account’s sole signatories.
One of the charges reads: “That you Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir… 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…”
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following their pleas, EFCC counsel Musa Isah requested a trial date, while the defence lawyers moved for bail. Despite opposition from the prosecution, Justice Danladi granted each defendant bail in the sum of N5 million, with one surety who must own a verifiable property within the jurisdiction of the court.
The judge adjourned the matter to October 27, 2025, for trial.
The EFCC said its investigations showed that NADIKKO General Suppliers served as the main conduit for laundering the stolen funds, which were traced to various accounts linked to the suspects.
The Commission assured that it remains committed to pursuing the case to its logical conclusion.
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