Bafarawa Diverted N4.6b Security Fund From Ex-NSA Dasuki

Witness tells court that former Sokoto Governor Bafarawa stole N4.6 billion from former NSA Dasuki's security fund.

In the Sokoto State trial of Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor, Kassim Yusuf, a second prosecution witness, PW2, described to Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Circuit Court on Tuesday how the former governor embezzled an astounding N4.6 billion that he was given as security funds from the office of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

Bafarawa is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on amended 25-count counts pertaining to criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N4.6 billion in public funds.

Bashir Yuguda, Dalhatu Investment Limited, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, and Sagir Attahiru are additional defendants in the case.

The prosecution's attorney, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, led the witness, an EFCC officer, into the courtroom and, according to a statement from the organization's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, told the judge that N4.6 billion in security funds that Dalhatu Investment Limited received from the ONSA were used to sponsor Sokoto State natives traveling on Muslim pilgrimages.

He continued by saying that a portion of the fund was also utilized to support Mr. Bafarawa's bid for president in 2015, pay off his foreign mortgage, and buy pricey cars for the state's local government chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including 16 Peugeot 206s and Lexus trucks.

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The PW2 also disclosed that Nibillion was distributed from the total to roughly ten Bureau De Change, or BDC, operators in order to convert them to US dollars.

“About 10 BDCs said Dalhatu Investment Limited sent somebody to collect the money and about N800 million was transferred to Dalhatu Investment Ltd's domiciliary account to be converted to dollars. Funds were paid to a company called Development Strategy International Ltd.

“The directors of the company are Islam Wali and Muhammad Wali who are cousins to Ambassador Abdullahi Wali,” he told the court.