EFCC Arraigns Former Contractor Over Alleged ₦111 Million Fraud in Kaduna
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Directorate, has brought a former Kaduna State government contractor, Bashir Bello Ibrahim, before Justice A. M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, on allegations of fraud totaling ₦111 million. Ibrahim, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Formal Act Legacy Limited, faces a seven-count charge involving obtaining money under false pretence, advance fee fraud, and money laundering.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Bashir Ibrahim Bello (being Managing Director of Formal Act Legacy Limited) and Formal Act Legacy Limited, sometime in July 2024 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, conspired among yourselves to commit a felony, to wit: obtaining the sum of ₦37,300,000 (Thirty-Seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) under false pretence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another count accuses him of conspiracy to commit money laundering, stating that: “That you, Bashir Ibrahim Bello (being Managing Director of Formal Act Legacy Limited) and Formal Act Legacy Limited, sometime in July 2024 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, conspired to commit an offence to wit: money laundering, contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) and (4) of the same Act.”
“Ibrahim, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him. Following his plea, prosecuting counsel Fortune Amina I. Asemebo requested a date for trial, while the defence counsel, M. T. Mohammed, moved a motion for the defendant’s bail. The court declined to entertain the bail application immediately.
“Justice Aikawa subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Centrepending the hearing of his bail application.
“According to the petition filed before the EFCC, the complainant alleged that he was introduced to the defendant in 2024 by three individuals Josephine Washima, Mamuda Nyelong, and Nalara Tanimu who posed as contract intermediaries.
“They reportedly convinced him that Ibrahim, in his purported capacity as the United Nations Sub-African Regional Coordinator, could award him contracts for the construction of solar-powered boreholes across various locations in northern Nigeria.
“The petitioner said he paid ₦37.3 million as a facilitation fee into Washima’s account and was issued five purported letters of award for 20 borehole projects. He claimed to have executed one batch of the project, four solar-powered boreholes at Specialist School, Sabon Abuja Jahun, Nurses Quarters, and Water Board Quarters in Karin Madaki, Bauchi State but was never paid. He later discovered that the entire transaction was fraudulent, prompting him to file a petition with the EFCC.
