Kebbi LG Chairman, Finance Director Jailed Over ₦54m Contract Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Abubakar Bawa Makuku, Sole Administrator and Caretaker Chairman of Sakaba Local Government Area in Kebbi State, and Ahmed Abdullahi Fakai, the council’s Director of Finance and Supply, for diverting ₦54 million in fraudulent contract deals.

Justice E. Gakko of the Federal High Court, Birnin Kebbi, found the duo guilty on multiple counts of abuse of office, contract fraud, and financial misconduct, the ICPC said in a statement on Friday.

ICPC’s prosecution counsel, Hamza Sani, told the court that Fakai unlawfully withdrew ₦54 million from Sakaba Local Government’s account in six tranches of ₦9 million each — a deliberate scheme to evade financial reporting protocols.

The court also heard that Makuku awarded fake contracts without due process and personally pocketed ₦10 million meant for official duties.

One of the charges read: “That you, Ahmed Abdullahi Fakai, in June 2016 or thereabout, at Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, withdrew a total of ₦54,000,000.00 from the council’s account with intent to avoid the legal duty of reporting the said sum.”

Despite their plea of not guilty, the court found both men culpable after reviewing the evidence presented by the anti-graft agency.

Justice Gakko sentenced Fakai to three years in prison with an option of ₦2.5 million fine, while Makuku bagged four years imprisonment or a fine of ₦2.5 million, including ₦1 million compensation to Sakaba Local Government.

The ICPC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said the judgment reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to hold public officials accountable, stressing that corruption at the local government level continues to rob rural communities of basic development projects.

> “This judgment underscores ICPC’s determination to ensure that public officers who betray public trust for personal gain are brought to justice,” the statement added.

Analysts say the ruling serves as a warning to local government administrators nationwide that the days of impunity and unchecked corruption are numbered.