EFCC drags National Assembly directors, couple, others to court over alleged N1.99bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday intensified its crackdown on financial crimes as it dragged senior National Assembly officials, a husband and wife, two individuals and a company before courts in Abuja, Lagos and Ado-Ekiti over separate allegations of fraud, theft and illicit conversion of funds totaling about N1.99 billion

The EFCC on Monday moved to re-arraign three senior officials of the National Assembly before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja, over an alleged N337.06 million fraud.

The defendants are Aishatu Bappa El-Nafaty, Director of the Public Affairs Department in the Directorate of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security; Mamud Abubakar, a former Permanent Secretary in the services of the National Assembly; and Igba Ityoakura Joseph, a Deputy Director of Procurement.

They are facing an amended 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and illegal conversion of National Assembly funds amounting to N337,062,350.

However, the planned re-arraignment was stalled after Muhammed Ndayako, counsel to the second defendant, filed a preliminary objection challenging several counts in the amended charge.

Ndayako urged the court to strike out counts three, four, five, six, seven and 18, arguing that they were incompetent and constituted an attempt to revive charges that had already been quashed by the court in a ruling delivered on May 12, 2025.

Responding, Francis Usani, EFCC counsel, expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the objection, noting that it was served on the prosecution on Friday, June 5, despite the defence having more than a month to file it.

Usani maintained that the objection was frivolous and intended to frustrate the re-arraignment process.

He urged the court to dismiss it and allow the defendants to take their pleas on the amended charges.

According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired between 2017 and 2019 to commit criminal breach of trust while serving in various capacities within the National Assembly.

One of the charges alleges that El-Nafaty dishonestly converted N89.87 million transferred from National Assembly accounts into her personal account with SunTrust Bank.

The anti-graft agency also accused her of allegedly forging receipts purportedly issued by Fazah Integrated Services Limited between 2017 and 2018 with intent to defraud.

Following indications that the first defendant intended to file a similar preliminary objection, Justice Muhammed Zubairu directed that it be filed within 48 hours.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026, for hearing on the preliminary objections and directed the prosecution to file its response.

In Lagos, the EFCC arraigned Olivia Dike, Azeez Muniru Siyanbola and Eniafelamo Global Seven Nigeria Limited before Rahman Oshodi, Justice of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged N560 million theft.

The defendants were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on stealing.

According to the EFCC, the defendants, alongside one Taoheed Lekan Abdrahman who is currently at large, allegedly stole and converted N560 million belonging to Peachland West Africa Limited and an individual, Iyke Stephen Okpaji, between July 2024 and February 2025.

The commission alleged that the accused dishonestly appropriated the funds for their personal use in violation of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

When the charges were read, the defendants pleaded not guilty.

Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Nnaemeka Omewa requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants pending trial.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until July 10, 2026, for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.

The judge also ordered that Dike be remanded in a female custodial centre, while Siyanbola was remanded in a maximum-security correctional facility.

Meanwhile, the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arraigned a self-acclaimed native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, before the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti over an alleged N1.09 billion contract scam.

The couple were brought before Abubakar Usman (Justice) on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime.

The case originated from a petition filed by Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, a widow and proprietor of a private school in Delta State, who alleged that Taiwo persuaded her to finance a road construction contract he claimed had been awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that the complainant paid a total of N1.98 billion into Taiwo’s Access Bank account based on the representation.

The commission further alleged that proceeds from the purported fraud were used to acquire two properties in Ado-Ekiti, including Town Tavern Lounge on Ikere Road and a four-bedroom bungalow located in Florence Court, Irewolede Estate.

The EFCC disclosed that it had already secured an interim forfeiture order on the properties on May 25, 2026.

One of the charges alleges that the defendants fraudulently obtained N1,098,961,500 from the complainant between January 2024 and November 2025 under the false claim that the money would be used to execute a DESOPADEC road construction contract.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their arraignment, Sesan Ola, EFCC counsel requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendants.

Usman adjourned the matter until June 11, 2026, for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial, while ordering that the couple remain in EFCC custody pending further proceedings.