EFCC Moves to Re-Arraign Senior National Assembly Officials Over Alleged N337m Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sought to re-arraign three senior officials of the National Assembly over an alleged N337.06 million fraud case before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja.
The defendants are Aishatu Bappa El-Nafaty, Director of the Public Affairs Department in the Directorate of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security; Mamud Alhaji Abubakar, a former Permanent Secretary in the service of the National Assembly; and Igba Ityoakura Joseph, a Deputy Director of Procurement.
The anti-graft agency is seeking to re-arraign the trio on an amended 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and alleged diversion of National Assembly funds amounting to N337,062,350.
However, the planned re-arraignment could not proceed following a preliminary objection filed by counsel to the second defendant, Muhammed Ndayako (SAN).
Ndayako urged the court to strike out counts three, four, five, six, seven and 18 of the amended charge dated October 8, 2025, arguing that the counts were incompetent and amounted to an attempt to revive charges that had already been quashed by the court in a ruling delivered on May 12, 2025.
Responding, EFCC counsel, Francis Usani, expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the objection, noting that it was served on the prosecution only days before the scheduled re-arraignment.
Usani argued that the objection was frivolous and intended to frustrate the proceedings. He urged the court to dismiss it and direct the defendants to take their pleas on the amended charge.
According to the EFCC, count one of the charge alleges that the three defendants conspired between 2017 and 2019 to commit criminal breach of trust while serving in various capacities within the National Assembly.
The commission further alleged in count three that El-Nafaty, while serving as Deputy Director and Head of Training and Welfare, was entrusted with N89.87 million transferred from National Assembly accounts domiciled in SunTrust Bank but dishonestly converted the funds for personal use.
In count 10, the EFCC accused El-Nafaty of allegedly forging payment receipts purportedly issued by Fazah Integrated Services Limited between 2017 and 2018 with the intent to defraud.
At the proceedings, the first defendant indicated her intention to file a similar preliminary objection challenging aspects of the amended charge.
Justice Muhammed Zubairu subsequently directed her to file the application within 48 hours and ordered the prosecution to respond accordingly.
The judge adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026, for hearing on the preliminary objections.
The defendants are facing charges of conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and alleged misappropriation of public funds, allegations they have yet to enter fresh pleas to following the amended charge.