Kaduna, Nigeria – The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Ibrahim Shuaibu before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court on charges of fraud. The accused is facing a seven-count charge, including criminal breach of trust, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretence, involving a total of N100 million.
In a statement released on Monday via the EFCC’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter), the anti-graft agency detailed the charges against Shuaibu, which stem from fraudulent activities dating back to 2017. One of the charges reads, “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) and Illya Garba (now deceased) conspired to obtain money under false pretence, an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
Shuaibu is alleged to have impersonated a Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and fraudulently claimed to be capable of supplying over 2,000 litres of petroleum products to a victim. According to the EFCC, the victim, Faisal Safiyanu, transferred a total of N47,050,000 to Shuaibu in instalments, but the petroleum products were never delivered, nor was the money refunded.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all charges during the court proceedings. The prosecution counsel, M. Lawal, requested the court to set a trial date, while Shuaibu’s defence counsel, AbdulKareem Audu, failed to submit a bail application.
Justice Khobo ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody pending further proceedings.
The case highlights the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to combat fraudulent practices in Nigeria, particularly those involving the manipulation of high-profile roles within government agencies.
