EFCC’s Bid to Re-Arraign 3 Top National Assembly Directors Over Alleged N337m Fraud Stalled

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday failed to proceed with the re-arraignment of three senior National Assembly officials over an alleged N337.06 million fraud following preliminary objections raised by the defence before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja.

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, were scheduled to be re-arraigned before Justice Muhammed Zubairu.

The EFCC had filed an amended 23-count charge against the trio, accusing them of conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption, and the alleged diversion of National Assembly funds amounting to N337,062,350.

However, proceedings were halted after counsel to the second defendant, Muhammed Ndayako, filed a preliminary objection seeking the dismissal of counts three, four, five, six, seven, and 18 of the amended charge.

Ndayako argued that the affected counts were incompetent, contending that they sought to revive charges previously quashed by the court in a ruling delivered on May 12, 2025.

In response, EFCC counsel Francis Usani informed the court that the prosecution was only served with the objection on June 5, 2026, shortly before the scheduled re-arraignment. He urged the court to dismiss the application, describing it as frivolous and aimed at frustrating the arraignment process.

Usani maintained that the defendants should proceed to enter their pleas on the amended charges.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired between 2017 and 2019 to commit criminal breach of trust while occupying various positions within the National Assembly.

One of the counts alleges that El-Nafaty dishonestly converted N89.87 million, allegedly transferred from National Assembly accounts domiciled with SunTrust Bank, into her personal account between 2017 and 2019.

Another count accuses her of forging receipts purportedly issued by Fazah Integrated Services Limited between 2017 and 2018 with intent to defraud.

During the hearing, counsel for the first defendant indicated plans to file a similar preliminary objection. Justice Zubairu subsequently directed that the application be filed within 48 hours and granted the prosecution time to respond.

The court adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026, for the hearing of the preliminary objections.