The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government contractor and Chief Executive Officer of Formal Act Legacy Limited, over an alleged N30 billion fraud.
According to a statement by the Commission, the arrest was carried out by its Kaduna Zonal Directorate following no fewer than 251 complaints lodged against Ibrahim.
He is accused of parading himself as a consultant for the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State and as a representative of the United Charity Foundation (UCF), FICCORD, allegedly affiliated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office.
The EFCC disclosed that despite the termination of a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ibrahim and the Kaduna State government in October 2023 due to contractual defaults, the suspect continued to unlawfully award fictitious contracts under the pretext of sourcing global intervention grants.
“He intentionally engaged in unauthorised award of fictitious contracts to the tune of approximately N30 billion… convincing his contractor victims to supply items meant for construction of hospitals, motorised boreholes, hospital beds and mattresses, drugs and vaccines which he would allegedly receive on behalf of the Kaduna State government, sold some and diverted their proceeds to his personal use,” the EFCC said.
Investigations revealed that Ibrahim warehoused the supplied items without notifying the relevant local government authorities, failed to compensate contractors, and sold contract award papers through proxies with whom he shared the proceeds. The EFCC also noted that the suspect altered the nature and terms of the contracts, which contributed to the eventual termination of his MoU with the state.
Recovered items include Toyota Hilux pick-up vans, ambulances, buses, dispatch motorcycles, drugs, vaccines, hospital beds, mattresses, and heavy-duty generators. Additionally, large quantities of pharmaceuticals and medical consumables were found in his office store.
The Commission, in collaboration with NAFDAC and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, has begun evaluating the stockpile of medicines.
Umar Ahmad Suleiman, Investigation and Enforcement Officer with the Federal Task Force of NAFDAC, said, “Some of the drug manufacturers registered with NAFDAC and that while some of the medicines are still within shelf life, some have expired with some being outright counterfeits and their manufacturers, unregistered with NAFDAC.”
Also commenting, Abubakar Isa Balarabe, a pharmacist and Team Leader from the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, confirmed, “Some of the medicines have expired,” adding, “The storage is not fit for any medicine because of the way and manner it was kept.”
The EFCC said the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
