Kaduna, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former contractor to the Kaduna State Government and CEO of Formal Act Legacy Limited, over an alleged ₦30 billion fraud involving fictitious local government contracts and impersonation.
In a statement released Friday via the Commission’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the EFCC confirmed that Ibrahim was arrested by operatives of its Kaduna Zonal Directorate following no fewer than 251 petitions submitted by victims across the country.
According to the EFCC, the suspect, whose contract with the Kaduna State Government was terminated in October 2023, continued to falsely present himself as a consultant for the 23 local government areas in the state. He also claimed affiliations with the United Charity Foundation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office.
“He falsely claimed to have a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State Government to source intervention grants from international donor agencies for local government projects,” the EFCC said.
Investigations revealed that the MoU in question was revoked due to non-performance and breach of terms, yet Ibrahim allegedly proceeded to award fake contracts to unsuspecting contractors. These contractors were persuaded to supply construction materials, hospital equipment, drugs, and other healthcare-related items, supposedly for use by the local governments.
“After taking delivery of the supplies, he warehoused them without informing the LGAs, failed to pay the contractors, and even sold off some of the items,” the EFCC disclosed.
Seized Items and Counterfeit Drugs
Items recovered from the suspect include:
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Toyota Hilux vans
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Ambulances
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Buses
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Dispatch motorcycles
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Generators
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A large stockpile of drugs and medical equipment
Many of the medical items, including syrups, tablets, gloves, and syringes, were found stored in poor conditions, raising concerns about public health.
The EFCC is working closely with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to inspect and verify the authenticity of the recovered medical supplies.
Umar Ahmad Suleiman, Investigation and Enforcement Officer of the Federal Task Force (NAFDAC), confirmed that some of the drugs were counterfeit, expired, or unregistered, posing significant risks.
“Some are within shelf life, others expired, and some are outright counterfeits,” Suleiman said.
Pharmacist Abubakar Isa Balarabe of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health also raised alarm over the unsafe storage of the medicines.
“The storage is not fit for any medicine because of the way and manner it was kept,” he stated.
Further Allegations and Legal Action
The EFCC further alleged that Ibrahim used proxies to sell fake contract award papers, altered contract terms without consent, and violated the revoked MoU to mislead more victims.
He is expected to be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
