Former ABU Vice Chancellor and Bursar Face N1 Billion Fraud Charges as EFCC Arraigns Them
Professor Ibrahim Garba and Ibrahim Shehu Usman, the former Vice Chancellor and Bursar of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were arraigned before Justice A.A Bello of the Kaduna State High Court.
The charges against them include theft and money laundering, totaling over N1 billion, as alleged by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The arraignment follows several months of investigation, prompted by a petition accusing the duo of diverting funds meant for the renovation of the Kongo Conference Hotel in Zaria. The investigation revealed that over N1 billion was allegedly stolen from the institution and transferred into their private accounts.
The charges include conspiracy to use the sum of N998,000,000.00 belonging to the university, and criminal breach of trust with regard to the sum of N173,428,020.00, through USIG NIGERIA LIMITED account No. 1402548014, domiciled in First City Monument Bank Plc.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the prosecuting counsel urged the court to fix a trial date. The defense counsel requested that the defendants be released on bail, and Justice Bello granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N10 million each, with a surety in like sum who must own a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, the defendants must deposit their international passports with the registrar of the court.
The trial has been adjourned until March 15 and 16, 2023.