{"id":121277,"date":"2025-08-06T23:04:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T22:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=121277"},"modified":"2025-08-06T23:04:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T22:04:01","slug":"katsina-efcc-arraigns-six-over-alleged-n1-2-billion-tax-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/katsina-efcc-arraigns-six-over-alleged-n1-2-billion-tax-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Katsina: EFCC Arraigns Six Over Alleged N1.2 Billion Tax Fraud\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned six persons, including five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and a First Bank employee, over their alleged involvement in a N1.2 billion fraud scheme.<\/div>\n
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The defendants were brought before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court by the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC. They are facing a seven-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of public funds.<\/div>\n
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According to the Commission, the accused individuals diverted a total of N1,235,330,000, which represents tax payments due to the Katsina State Government from international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res, and the Alliance for International Medical Action.<\/div>\n
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The accused persons-Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir (a Public Sector Relationship Manager at First Bank), were arraigned and all pleaded not guilty to the charges.<\/div>\n
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One of the counts reads: “That you, Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and Adam Alhassan Albashir, between January 2022 and August 2024, while serving as staff of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue Services and a First Bank official respectively, did conspire to unlawfully convert tax remittances meant for the Katsina State Government to your personal use. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58 and punishable under Section 298 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Following the defendants\u2019 pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Musa Isah, requested the court to set a date for trial, expressing the EFCC\u2019s readiness to present its case.<\/div>\n
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Defence lawyers, however, submitted separate bail applications for the six accused, asking the court to grant them bail pending the hearing. The prosecution opposed the applications.<\/div>\n
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Justice Danladi, after hearing arguments from both sides, approved bail for each defendant in the sum of N5 million. He ordered that each must produce a reliable surety residing within the court\u2019s jurisdiction, with verifiable landed property. The property documents are to be verified by the court registrar.<\/div>\n
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The case has been adjourned to October 27, 2025, for trial to begin.<\/div>\n
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EFCC\u2019s investigation revealed that Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and now Permanent Secretary of the Revenue Board, allegedly facilitated the opening of a Sterling Bank account under the name “BOIRS”. He reportedly appointed Sanusi Mohammed Yaro and Ibrahim Mamman as the only signatories to the account.<\/div>\n
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The EFCC said this account was used as a conduit to divert public funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company reportedly owned and operated by Nura Lawal, an Assistant Director in the Board’s Career Skills and Staff Welfare department.<\/div>\n
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Further investigation showed that Lawal and the company were central to the laundering of the stolen funds, which were traced to several other bank accounts tied to the suspects.<\/div>\n
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