EFCC Seeks Re-Arraignment of National Assembly Officials Over Alleged N337m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (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 alleged diversion and fraudulent conversion of N337.06 million.

The defendants, Aishatu Bappa El-Nafaty, Director of Public Affairs in the Directorate of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security; Mamud Alhaji Abubakar, a former Permanent Secretary in the National Assembly Service; and Igba Ityoakura Joseph, a Deputy Director of Procurement, are facing an amended 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and illegal conversion of public funds.

The case, however, did not proceed to re-arraignment as scheduled before Justice Muhammed Zubairu following a preliminary objection filed by counsel to the second defendant, Mohammed Ndayako (SAN).

Ndayako urged the court to strike out counts three, four, five, six, seven and 18 of the amended charge, arguing that they were incompetent and amounted to an attempt to revive charges previously struck out in a ruling delivered on May 12, 2025.

Prosecution counsel, Francis Usani, objected to the timing of the filing, telling the court he was only served the motion on Friday, June 5, 2026, despite having expected the defendants to take their plea.

He argued that the objection was intended to delay proceedings, insisting that the court should dismiss it and proceed with the re-arraignment. “We urge the court to strike out the objection as frivolous and proceed with the arraignment of the defendants,” he said.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences occurred between 2017 and 2019 and involved the diversion of funds belonging to the National Assembly through various accounts and transactions.

One of the counts alleges that El-Nafaty, while serving in different capacities within the National Assembly, conspired with others to dishonestly convert funds entrusted to her, an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312.

Another count accuses her of misappropriating ₦89.87 million transferred from National Assembly accounts into a personal account domiciled in a commercial bank.

The charge further alleges that she falsified payment receipts linked to a private firm, Fazh Integrated Services Ltd, with intent to deceive and defraud, contrary to Section 362 of the Penal Code.

The court also heard that similar objections may be filed by the first defendant, prompting Justice Zubairu to direct that such application be filed within 48 hours.

The judge subsequently ordered the prosecution to respond to all pending applications and adjourned the matter to September 23, 2026, for hearing of the preliminary objections.

The EFCC said the case forms part of its ongoing efforts to curb financial crimes within public institutions and ensure accountability in the management of government funds.