The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, has handed over recovered funds totaling ₦837.5 million to the Katsina State Government.
EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewole, said the funds, which were officially presented on Monday at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Commission, followed investigations into separate cases of alleged diversion of public funds.
According to the EFCC, ₦547 million was recovered from a case involving the alleged diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances belonging to the Katsina State Government.
The funds, sourced from international organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and ALIMA, were allegedly diverted into a private bank account by six personnel of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue Service and three bank officials.
The Commission said 12 suspects were arraigned in connection with the case, with six already convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining suspects are standing trial before the Katsina State High Court.
In a separate investigation, the EFCC recovered ₦290.47 million linked to an alleged fraud uncovered through a 2021 intelligence report. The Commission alleged that former Sub-Treasurer Sani Lawal BK and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer Saadu Maiwada of the Katsina State Accountant General’s Office diverted funds through unauthorised cash withdrawals from the state’s Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account into personal company accounts.
The suspects were arraigned on July 11, 2023, on charges bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds, with trial ongoing in both federal and state high courts.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Zonal Director of the EFCC Kano Directorate, ACE I Friday S. Ebelo, said the recovery reflected the Commission’s commitment to protecting public funds and ensuring accountability in public service.
He urged the Katsina State Government to deploy the recovered money for the benefit of residents, warning public officials against financial misconduct.
Receiving the recovered funds on behalf of the state government, the Executive Director of Standard and Compliance, Katsina State Internal Revenue Service, Dr. Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, commended the EFCC for its professionalism and assured that the money would be paid into the state’s consolidated revenue account.
