Commission Arraigns Revenue Service Official, Banker Over Alleged N336m Fraud

An official of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Mr Aliyu Bala Umar, and a representative of a first-generation bank are standing trial at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State, over alleged fraud.

The duo were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Mobolaji Olubukola Olajuwon for alleged N336 million fraud.

They were arraigned on charges of fraudulent money-taking and cyber financial fraud, among others.

EFCC Counsel, Uwaisu Yusuf, informed the court that between March and September 2021, Umar, a staff member of the Nigeria Revenue Service, collected monies in various sums and at different times from a retired civil servant, Malam Ishaku Danladi Abari, under the pretence of investing in a contract deal.

According to the EFCC counsel, the supposed contract was facilitated through Bamo Value Integrated Services Limited, a company purportedly owned by Mr Umar.

The contract, he explained, was to supply 5 million 50 kg bags of rice over a 2-year period, valued at over N200 million, to an organisation named United Nations Rescue Services.

Yusuf noted that Umar connived with one Ambrose Idama, a bank staff and authorised a letter to transfer the sum of N100 million from his account in another bank to Prowess Energy Limited.

He said that, on investigation, the commission discovered that the three purported companies listed as having been involved in the contract were fictitious and did not exist.

Lead Counsel to the first and second defendant, Umar, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu, urged the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that the offence in question is a bailable one.

After listening to the submissions of the counsels, the presiding judge, Mobolaji Olubukola Olajuwon, granted Umar, who is the first and second defendant in the case, bail in the sum of N150 each with two sureties each with landed property valued at more than the bail sums located either in Abuja or Nasarawa State.

The third defendant, Ambrose Idama, was also granted bail for the sum of one hundred million Naira, with two sureties who are close relations with landed properties in Abuja or Nasarawa State.

The sureties are to fulfil certain conditions, including providing evidence of tax payments for three years, two recent passport photographs, and depositing the original documents of the landed properties with the court.

The accused are to remain in the Custodial Centres pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

Counsel to the first and second defendants, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu, described the court’s ruling as satisfactory, noting that they are working towards meeting the bail conditions to secure his client’s release from custody. The case was adjourned to the second of March 2026 for hearing.