The Katsina State High Court sitting in Katsina, Katsina State, has granted N5 million bail each to five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue and one bank staff in an alleged N1.2 billion diversion of public funds case, totaling N30 million.
The case was filed by the Kano Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to a statement by the Commission on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the defendants were arraigned before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court.
The defendants are Nura Lawal, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim Mamman, Abubakar Saidu, Rabiu Adamu Abdullahi, and a Public Sector Relationship Manager of a bank, Adam Alhassan Albashir.
Nairametrics previously reported that the Katsina Revenue officials were arrested by the EFCC in January 2025.
EFCC Charges
According to the EFCC statement, the defendants were arraigned on seven-count charges bordering on conspiracy and diversion of public funds totaling N1,235,330,000, said to be accruing to the state from the World Health Organization, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).
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 and 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 a 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.”
The Commission stressed that its investigation showed that Rabiu Abdullahi, a former Director of Collections of the Board and current Permanent Secretary of the Board, allegedly authorized the opening of a bank account in the name of “BOIRS,” where he allegedly designated Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Director of Revenue Account, and Ibrahim Mamman as sole signatories to the said 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,” the Commission added.
The EFCC alleged that investigation further revealed that Nura Lawal and his company “NADIKKO” became the principal conduits used to allegedly launder the stolen funds.
It added that these allegedly laundered funds were traced to the various bank accounts of the suspects.
What Transpired in Court
At the court session, all six defendants pleaded not guilty to each of the charges preferred against them after they were read by the registrar.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Musa Isah asked the court for a trial date to prove the case against the defendants.
- However, counsels representing the defendants each moved separate bail applications for their clients.
- The defense urged the court to admit their clients to bail pending the hearing and determination of the cases.
- This bail application was opposed by the EFCC.
- After considering the arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defense counsel, Justice Danladi granted bail to each defendant in the sum of Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00), according to the EFCC statement.
- The bail conditions required each defendant to produce one reliable surety, who must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and possess landed property within the same axis.
The court also ordered that the title documents to the said property must be verified by the court registrar.
The case was subsequently adjourned to October 27, 2025, for commencement of trial.
