Former Bauchi Accountant-General faces 16 charges in N11bn fraud case

A former accountant-general of Bauchi State, Sa’idu Abubakar, has been arraigned before a High Court in the state over an alleged N11 billion loan fraud involving the procurement of thousands of motorcycles.

Abubakar was docked on Friday on a 16-count charge bordering on the alleged diversion of public funds, forgery, criminal breach of trust, abuse of office and other related offences.

According to court documents, the former accountant-general allegedly diverted N3 billion from a loan facility obtained from UBA Bank for the purchase of 5,000 motorcycles said to be non-existent.

The prosecution further accused him of misleading the Bauchi State House of Assembly and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government by allegedly presenting unauthorised loan facilities as having received official government approval.

Investigators claimed that the alleged misrepresentation led to the issuance and use of approval documents that were not lawfully authorised.

The charge sheet also alleged that Abubakar diverted N4.65 billion and N3.36 billion from separate loan facilities obtained from Polaris Bank and UBA Bank for motorcycle procurement projects.

The prosecution accused the defendant of creating Irrevocable Standing Payment Orders without due authorisation and possessing and using documents suspected to be forged.

To prove its case, the prosecution said it would tender several documents, including Executive Council and House of Assembly resolutions, official correspondence, bank records, investigative reports, witness statements and ISPO documents.

It also disclosed that government officials, investigators and finance personnel linked to the transactions would testify during the proceedings.

The case is expected to continue before the Bauchi State Financial Crimes Court, where Abubakar will respond to the allegations.