RismadarVoice Reporters
May 18, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, has handed over recovered funds totalling ₦837,485,389 to the Katsina State Government following investigations into two major cases involving the diversion of public funds.
The handover ceremony took place on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Commission.
According to the EFCC, the recoveries stemmed from separate investigations into alleged fraud, money laundering and misappropriation involving public officials and other collaborators.
In the first case, the Commission recovered ₦547,015,389 linked to the alleged diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances belonging to the Katsina State Government.
The funds were reportedly sourced from international donor organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, but were allegedly diverted into a private bank account by six officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BOIRS) in collaboration with three bank employees.
The EFCC disclosed that 12 suspects were charged in court in connection with the case. Six of them have already been convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining six are currently standing trial before the Katsina State High Court.
In the second case, the Commission recovered ₦290,470,000 traced to an alleged fraud uncovered through a 2021 intelligence report.
Investigations revealed that former Sub-Treasurer, Sani Lawal BK, and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer, Saadu Maiwada, allegedly conspired to divert the funds from the Katsina State Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account into personal companies through unauthorised cash withdrawals.
The EFCC stated that no contracts were awarded and no services rendered to justify the withdrawals.
The suspects were arraigned on July 11, 2023, before Federal and State High Courts on charges bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds, with trial proceedings currently ongoing.
Presenting the recovered funds to the Executive Director of Standard and Compliance, Katsina State Internal Revenue Service, Dr Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, the Kano Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Friday S. Ebelo, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting public resources and ensuring accountability in public service.
“This money belongs to the people of Katsina State, and I urge that it be used for the betterment of the people,” Ebelo stated.
He noted that the recoveries were made possible through painstaking investigations by EFCC operatives and warned public officials against violating due process in the management of public funds.
Receiving the drafts on behalf of the Katsina State Government, Dr Yantumaki commended the EFCC for its professionalism and diligence in recovering the funds.
He assured that the money would be properly remitted into the state’s consolidated revenue account and utilised for the benefit of the people of Katsina State.
