The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday convicted Ibrahim Garba and Ibrahim Shehu Usman, former vice chancellor and bursar of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
The duo was arraigned before Justice AA Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on eight counts of theft and money laundering of over N1billion.
A statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the arraignment followed a months-long investigation triggered by a petition accusing the duo of diverting money meant for the renovation of the popular Congo Conference Hotel, Zaria.
“The investigation established that over one billion Naira was allegedly stolen from various institutional accounts by the defendants and diverted to personal accounts,” Mr. Uwujaren said.
Count one of the charges, “You, Prof. Ibrahim Garba and Ibrahim Shehu Usman, sometime in December 2013, when the Vice-Chancellor and Bursar of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in Kaduna in the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court conspired between you to use the amount aggregate of N998, 000,000.00 (nine hundred and ninety eight million Naira), property of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Another count reads, “If you, Prof. Ibrahim Garba and Ibrahim Shehu Usman, between 2015 and 2016 in Kaduna, when the Vice-Chancellor and Bursar of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, dominated the aggregate sum of N173,428,020.00 (One Hundred Seven Twenty Three Million, Four Hundred Eight Thousand, Twenty Naira), committed a Criminal Breach of Trust in respect of the amount through USIG NIGERIA LIMITED account No. 1402548014, domiciled at First City Monument Bank Plc” .
The suspects pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charges were read.
Based on their request, the prosecutors, N.Salele and MU Gadaka, asked the court to set the start date of the trial, while MS Kati’s lawyer asked the court to release his client on bail.
Justice Bello granted the former ABU officials bail in the sum of N10 million each and sureties in like sum who must have landed properties within the court’s jurisdiction.
He must also deposit his international passport with the court registrar.
The case was adjourned to March 15 and 16, 2023 for trial.
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