The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former Kaduna state government contractor, Bashir Bello Ibrahim, over ₦37 million fraud involving obtaining money under false pretences and laundering the proceeds.
Ibrahim, who serves as the chief executive officer of Formal Act Legacy Limited, was brought before Justice A.M. Aikawa of the federal high court in Kaduna on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud, advance fee fraud, and money laundering.
According to the EFCC, the defendant conspired with his company to defraud a petitioner of ₦37.3 million in July 2024 by falsely claiming he could facilitate contracts for the construction of solar-powered boreholes across parts of northern Nigeria.
The commission alleged that Ibrahim presented himself as a United Nations Sub-African regional coordinator capable of awarding the contracts, convincing the victim to pay the sum as a facilitation fee through intermediaries identified as Josephine Washima, Mamuda Nyelong, and Nalara Tanimu.
The petitioner told investigators he received five letters of contract award for 20 boreholes after payment and even completed one batch of four boreholes in Bauchi state, but was never paid.
It was later discovered that the contract documents were fake.
Ibrahim pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read in court.
Following the plea, prosecuting counsel, Fortune Amina Asemebo, asked the court to fix a date for trial.
However, the defence counsel, M.T. Mohammed, moved a motion for bail, which the court could not entertain immediately.
Justice Aikawa ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.
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