The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Command, has made a significant arrest involving five high-ranking officials from the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue, accused of embezzling a staggering N1,294,337,676.53 earmarked for the state government.
The suspects Rabiu Abdullahi, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro, Ibrahim Aliyu, and Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri were apprehended following a formal complaint from the Katsina State Government.
The petition accuses them of colluding to misappropriate funds provided by prominent international health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).
In a statement, the EFCC revealed that Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections and now the Permanent Secretary of the Board, allegedly sanctioned the opening of a suspicious bank account at Sterling Bank under the name “BOIRS.”
He appointed Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Director of Revenue Account, and Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro as the sole signatories to this account.
This account, according to the EFCC, was used to funnel diverted funds into a company owned by Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri.
Nura Lawal, who serves as an Assistant Director in Career Skills and Staff Welfare, allegedly used his business, NADIKKO General Suppliers, to launder the stolen funds.
These illicit funds were then distributed across various bank accounts belonging to the suspects, as the EFCC tracked the laundered money to multiple accounts linked to them.
The EFCC has confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody at its Kano Zonal Command, with investigations ongoing.
“The suspects will be charged to court once the investigation is concluded,” the EFCC stated.