The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Bashir Ibrahim, a former contractor with the Kaduna State Government and CEO of Formal Act Legacy Limited, for his alleged involvement in a ₦30 billion fraud scheme.
In a statement on Friday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest, revealing that Ibrahim is under investigation following 251 separate petitions alleging misrepresentation, contract fraud, and large-scale diversion of public resources.
Despite the Kaduna State Government officially terminating its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ibrahim in October 2023, he allegedly continued to falsely present himself as a consultant for all 23 local government areas of the state. He also claimed affiliations with the United Charity Foundation (UCF), FICCORD, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) office to lend credibility to his operations.
EFCC investigations uncovered that Ibrahim fraudulently awarded fictitious contracts worth around ₦30 billion, deceiving contractors into supplying hospital equipment, medical consumables, borehole systems, and other infrastructure items under the guise of government-backed projects. Many of the delivered items were diverted, stored in undisclosed warehouses, or illegally sold.
The Commission also alleged that Ibrahim failed to remit payments to contractors and sold fake contract awards through proxies, with whom he shared the illicit proceeds. His unauthorized changes to contract terms and continued activities despite the MoU’s termination prompted a full-scale investigation.
Among the items recovered during raids on his premises were Toyota Hilux vehicles, ambulances, buses, motorcycles, hospital beds, heavy-duty generators, and a significant volume of pharmaceutical supplies.
Collaborating agencies—including NAFDAC and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health—are currently assessing the legality and safety of the medical items found. According to Umar Ahmad Suleiman, a NAFDAC enforcement officer, some drugs were legitimate and within shelf life, while others were expired, counterfeit, or from unregistered manufacturers.
Abubakar Isa Balarabe, a pharmacist with the Kaduna Ministry of Health, also condemned the substandard warehouse conditions, warning that the environment posed a health risk for medical storage.
The EFCC has confirmed that Bashir Ibrahim will be charged in court upon the conclusion of its investigation.
