NIGERIA: EFCC Arrests Former Kaduna Contractor Over Alleged N30bn Fraud, Fake Contracts

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government contractor and Chief Executive Officer of Formal Act Legacy Limited, over alleged fraudulent contracts and diversion of public resources totalling N30 billion.

The EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Directorate confirmed the arrest in an official statement on Thursday, attributing the development to extensive investigations following over 250 complaints received from alleged victims.

Despite the termination of his Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State Government in October 2023, Ibrahim allegedly continued to parade himself as a consultant to the state’s 23 local government areas and as an affiliate of the United Charity Foundation (UCF) and FICCORD, organizations reportedly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the statement, it was noted that investigators alleged Ibrahim falsely claimed he was sourcing donor grants for community development projects.

He allegedly awarded fictitious contracts for the supply of medical and construction equipment under the guise of executing government-approved projects.

According to the EFCC, he misled contractors into delivering supplies, many of which were either sold for personal gain or stored without the knowledge of the local authorities.

The statement reads: “Investigations revealed that he took delivery of goods including hospital beds, motorised boreholes, vaccines and medicines under the pretext of executing state-backed projects. However, he failed to pay the contractors and diverted the items.”

Recovered from Ibrahim were Toyota Hilux vans, ambulances, dispatch motorcycles, and large caches of drugs and medical equipment.

The EFCC is working with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to assess the integrity and safety of the seized items.

NAFDAC’s Federal Task Force officer, Umar Ahmad Suleiman, confirmed that some of the medicines were counterfeit and had expired, while others were produced by unregistered manufacturers.

Kaduna State Health Ministry official Abubakar Isa Balarabe added that the storage facility housing the drugs was “unfit for any medical use.”

Ibrahim is expected to be charged in court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.