The Kano Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has 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 totalling N1.23bn 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.
Counsels representing the defendants each moved separate bail applications, urging the court to admit their clients to bail pending the hearing and determination of the cases. Isah, however, vigorously opposed the bail applications.
Investigation by the Commission showed that Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections of the Board and current Permanent Secretary of the Board authorized the opening of a bank account in the name of ”BOIRS” at Sterling bank where he allegedly designated Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Director of Revenue Account and Ibrahim Mamman as sole signatories to the account.
Subsequently, the account became the primary channel through which all the funds were allegedly funneled to the main beneficiary NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned and controlled by Nura Lawal, an Assistant Director of Career Skills/Staff Welfare of the Board.
Investigation further revealed that Nura Lawal and his company ”NADIKKO” became the principal conduits used to launder the stolen funds. These laundered funds were traced to the various bank accounts of the suspects.
After carefully considering the arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defence counsel, Justice Danladi granted bail to each defendant in the sum of N5m.
The bail conditions require each defendant to produce one reliable surety.
The surety must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and must possess a landed property within the same axis. The title documents to the said property must be verified by the court registrar.
Justice Danladi subsequently adjourned the case to October 27, 2025 for commencement of trial.
