EFCC arrests former Kaduna contractor, Bashir Ibrahim, over alleged N30bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Bashir Ibrahim, former Kaduna State government contractor for alleged N30 billion fraud.

Ibrahim is the Chief Executive Officer of FORMAL ACT LEGACY LIMITED.

In a statement released Friday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest, revealing that despite the termination of Ibrahim’s contract with the Kaduna State government, the Commission has received at least 251 complaints accusing him of misrepresentation and fraud.

Ibrahim is alleged to have falsely posed as a consultant for all 23 local government areas in Kaduna State and the United Charity Foundation (UCF), FICCORD, allegedly claiming ties with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office.

He reportedly told victims that he held a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State government to secure intervention grants from global donor agencies for local government projects and SDG implementation.

However, investigations revealed that his consultancy claim with UCF was false, and the MoU with the Kaduna State government was terminated in October 2023 for breaching its terms.

Despite the termination, Ibrahim allegedly continued to fraudulently award fictitious contracts worth approximately N30 billion.

He reportedly deceived contractors into supplying items such as hospital construction materials, motorised boreholes, beds, mattresses, drugs, and vaccines—claiming they were for the Kaduna State government.

The EFCC stated that Ibrahim either diverted or sold the delivered goods for personal gain.

Investigations further revealed that he stored delivered supplies in warehouses without notifying the respective LGAs, failed to pay contractors, and sold contract award papers through proxies, sharing the proceeds with them.

His unilateral changes to contract terms and unauthorized dealings are believed to have contributed to the MoU’s termination by the state government.

Items recovered from Ibrahim include Toyota Hilux vans, ambulances, buses, dispatch motorcycles, hospital equipment, and heavy-duty generators.

His storage facilities contained large quantities of medicines, including tablets, syrups, infusions, ointments, and medical consumables like gloves and syringes.

The EFCC is working alongside the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to assess the quality and legality of the medicines found.

Umar Ahmad Suleiman, Investigation and Enforcement Officer with the Federal Task Force at NAFDAC, noted that while some medicines were registered and still within shelf life, others were expired or counterfeit, with unregistered manufacturers.

Abubakar Isa Balarabe, a pharmacist and Team Leader at the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, added that the warehouse conditions were substandard and unsuitable for medicine storage.

The EFCC stated that Ibrahim will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.