EFCC Arraigns Katsina Deputy Accountant General and Another for N289m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought charges against Saadu Maiwada and Sani Lawal BK before Justice Musa Abubakar Danladi of the Katsina State High Court. The defendants, who held positions as Sub Treasurer and Deputy Sub Treasurer in the office of the Accountant General of Katsina State, are accused of conspiring and misappropriating Two Hundred and Eighty Nine Million Naira from the state’s treasury. According to investigations, the stolen funds were funneled through the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited, a company where Maiwada serves as a Director.Furthermore, it was revealed that the sum of N49, 000,000 was also allegedly transferred from the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited to the personal account of the second defendant (Lawal BK) who is now the Dep­uty Accountant General of the state.

The charges reads, “That you, Saadu Miawada and Sani Lawal BK sometime in 2017 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Katsina State Government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N120,790,942.86 which was transferred from Katsina State Government Sub -Treasury Expenditure Account number 1012424374 domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC to In­tegrated Gas Services Company Limited’s Fidelity Bank account no 4010693761 (CO1717299) and you thereby committed an of­fence punishable under Section 297 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2021”.

However, both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

The Prosecution counsel, Ai­sha Tahar Habib, after acknowl­edging their pleas prayed the court for a trial date.

Counsel for the defendants, J B Israel, made an oral bail ap­plication on behalf of his clients which the prosecution objected, demanding for a formal applica­tion stating that, the court is a court of record.Justice Musa Abubakar Dan­ladi, however, admitted the defen­dants to bail in the sum of N5, 000,000 each, ordering that each defendant must provide a surety with a landed property within Katsina and present letters of introduction from a traditional ruler.