Kaduna, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former government contractor, Bashir Bello Ibrahim, for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting individuals and firms of over N30 billion under the pretense of executing contracts for local governments in Kaduna State.
According to the EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Directorate, Ibrahim, who was once the CEO of Formal Act Legacy Limited, is accused of falsely parading himself as a consultant for all 23 local government areas in Kaduna State and other organizations including the United Charity Foundation (UCF) and FICCORD, claiming affiliations with the office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Investigations reveal that although Ibrahim signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State Government in 2020 to attract donor grants, the agreement was terminated in October 2023 due to his failure to meet the terms. Despite this, he continued to operate illegally, awarding fake contracts for health-related supplies such as hospital beds, borehole equipment, vaccines, and drugs.
Many contractors were allegedly tricked into supplying materials worth billions of naira, which Ibrahim either sold or kept in warehouses without informing the local governments or making any payments to the suppliers. He also reportedly sold fake contract papers through proxies and pocketed the proceeds.
The EFCC says it received over 250 complaints about the suspect’s activities. Items recovered during the arrest include ambulances, buses, motorcycles, large stocks of drugs, and medical equipment.
Further examination by NAFDAC and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health revealed that some of the drugs had expired, while others were counterfeit or produced by unregistered manufacturers. The conditions of the warehouse were described as unfit for storing medicine, raising public health concerns.
“The suspect will be charged to court once investigations are complete,” EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed.
This arrest is part of the EFCC’s continued crackdown on high-profile financial crimes and abuse of public trust across Nigeria.
