By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned five senior officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and one bank employee over the alleged diversion of more than N1.2 billion in public funds meant for the state government. The suspects were brought before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court sitting in Katsina on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the defendants were arraigned by the Kano Directorate of the EFCC on a seven-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and unlawful conversion of public revenue. The funds in question, amounting to N1,235,330,000 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira), were reportedly generated as tax remittances from international humanitarian agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).
The defendants include Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, all officials of the Katsina Board of Internal Revenue and Adam Alhassan Albashir, a Public Sector Relationship Manager with First Bank.
One of the charges against them 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 the 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 the charges when they were read to them in court.
Prosecution counsel Musa Isah, after their plea, requested a trial date to enable the EFCC to prove its case. Defence counsel for each of the accused persons, however, moved separate bail applications, urging the court to admit their clients to bail. The EFCC lawyer opposed the applications, citing the magnitude of the case and the risk of interference with ongoing investigations.
After listening to arguments from both sides, Justice Danladi granted bail to each defendant in the sum of N5 million, with one surety each. The court stipulated that each surety must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must own a verifiable landed property in the area. The title documents are to be verified by the court registrar before the bail takes effect.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to October 27, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the EFCC revealed a carefully orchestrated fraud scheme spearheaded by Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections at the Revenue Board and current Permanent Secretary of the agency. According to the Commission, Abdullahi authorized the opening of a suspicious bank account titled “BOIRS” at Sterling Bank, where he appointed Sanusi Mohammed Yaro and Ibrahim Mamman as the sole signatories.
This account, investigators say, became the primary channel for diverting state tax revenues into the private coffers of NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned and operated by Nura Lawal, an Assistant Director of Career Skills and Staff Welfare at the Board. The EFCC traced multiple transfers from this account into various personal and business accounts linked to the accused persons.
The Commission disclosed that NADIKKO General Suppliers and Nura Lawal acted as the principal conduits through which the laundered funds were funneled, in what it described as a classic case of abuse of office, criminal conspiracy, and economic sabotage.
