Justice E. Gakko of the Federal High Court sitting in Birnin-Kebbi has convicted Mr Abubakar Bawa Makuku, Sole Administrator and Caretaker Chairman of Sakaba Local Government Area in Kebbi State, and Mr Ahmed Abdullahi Fakai, Director of Finance and Supply of the same Local Government, for contract fraud and abuse of office involving the sum of N54 million.

The court convicted the duo on multiple counts bordering on abuse of office, fraudulent contract awards, and financial misconduct.

The court heard how Makuku corruptly awarded contracts without following due process and personally benefited from the diversion of N10 million earmarked for official engagements of the local government.

One of the charges read: “That you, Ahmed Abdullahi Fakai, in June 2016 or thereabouts, at Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while serving as Director of Finance and Supply, withdrew a total of N54,000,000.00 (Fifty-Four Million Naira) from the Sakaba Local Government bank account at First Bank Nigeria Plc in six tranches of N9,000,000.00 each, with the intent to avoid the legal duty of reporting the said sum, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 19(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Another charge against the Sole Administrator read: “That you, Abubakar Bawa Makuku, in May 2016 or thereabouts, at Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, while serving as Sole Administrator, used your office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) in cash from the Finance and Supply office of Sakaba Local Government. The funds were designated for official government activities but were not utilised for their intended purpose, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them. However, in his judgment, Justice Gakko found them guilty as charged and convicted them accordingly.

Fakai was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of N2.5 million, while Mr. Makuku received a four-year jail term or a fine of N1 million as compensation to Sakaba Local Government, in addition to another N1.5 million fine.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in a statement by its Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, who is also the Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, on Friday said that during the trial, prosecution counsel Mr. Hamza Sani presented evidence showing that Fakai unlawfully withdrew a total of N54 million from the coffers of Sakaba Local Government in six tranches of N9 million each, in a deliberate attempt to evade financial reporting protocols.