By Our Correspondent
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a staff member of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NIRS), Aliyu Bala Umar, alongside a staff of a first-generation commercial bank, over an alleged fraud involving more than ₦336 million.
The defendants were arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where the EFCC preferred a nine-count charge against them, bordering on fraudulent conversion of funds and financial cybercrime.
At the arraignment, EFCC prosecuting counsel, Uwaisu Yusuf, told the court that between March and September 2021, Aliyu Bala Umar allegedly fraudulently obtained various sums of money totaling ₦336.4 million from one Mallam Ishaku Danladi Abari, a retired permanent secretary in the Nasarawa State Civil Service.
According to the prosecution, the funds were allegedly collected under the guise of facilitating a contract purportedly secured by Umar’s company, Bamo Value Integrated Services Limited, to supply five million 50kg bags of rice over a two-year period.
The contract, said to be valued at over ₦200 billion, was allegedly awarded by an organisation identified as the UN Rescue Services, which investigations later revealed to be non-existent.
The EFCC further alleged that Umar conspired with the third defendant, Ambrose Idama, a staff of a first-generation commercial bank, to authorize the transfer of ₦100 million to another account belonging to a non-existent company, Prowess Energy Limited.
After hearing submissions from counsesl, the presiding judge, Justice Mobolaji Olubukola Olajuwon, granted bail to Aliyu Bala Umar in the sum of ₦150 million with two sureties each. The sureties are required to have landed properties valued above the bail sum, located in either Abuja or Nasarawa State.
The third defendant, Ambrose Idama, was also granted bail in the sum of ₦100 million with two sureties, who must be close relatives with landed properties in Abuja or Nasarawa State.
The court ordered that all sureties must present evidence of three years’ tax payments, submit two recent passport photographs, and deposit original documents of the landed properties with the court.
Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, the defendants are to remain in custody at the appropriate correctional facility.
Meanwhile, counsel to the first and second defendants, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu, described the court’s ruling as satisfactory, assuring that efforts would be made to meet the bail conditions to secure the release of his clients.
The case was adjourned to March 2, 2026, for hearing.