Court declares Plateau lawmaker wanted over TETFund contract scam
Story by Jessica Mbamah
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Adamu Aliyu, wanted over an alleged fraudulent ₦73.6 million Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, contract.
Aliyu, the member representing Jos North State Constituency, was declared wanted by Justice Emeka Nwite who issued the order following an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Court documents reveal that, a businessman, Mohammed Jidda, had petitioned the ICPC alleging that Aliyu had promised to help him secure an ₦850 million TETFund contract at the University of Jos, with a signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.
Jidda reportedly paid the lawmaker the sum of ₦73.6 million upfront, including ₦52 million meant for Imanal Concept Ltd, owned by one Saad Abubakar – who facilitated the said fake contract.
The court documents further revealed that Aliyu was accused of handing Jidda a fake contract award letter for a ₦500 million indoor sports hall project and directing him to deposit the initial funds into his personal GTBank account and Imanal Concept’s Zenith Bank account.
The ICPC in its investigations said the sum of ₦47.8 million was paid into Aliyu’s account, another ₦22.4 million paid into Imanal Concept’s account, and a further ₦3.2 million paid directly to Aliyu.
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In its submission to the court, the ICPC said during investigations, the University of Jos denied issuing the contract and later confirmed in writing that the award letter was forged.
The ICPC also told the court that despite repeated summons, the Plateau lawmaker, Aliyu, ignored and failed to honour its invitations to explain his role in the fraudulent contract award, even though he had severally acknowledged receipt of messages through the Clerk of the Plateau State House Assembly and on WhatsApp.
The anti-graft agency also told the court that it had credible intelligence that the lawmaker had allegedly concluded plans to flee country.
The Commission the court to declare him wanted.
In his ruling on the matter, Justice Nwite granted ICPC’s request to declare Aliyu wanted, authorising the Commission to publish his name in national newspapers and on social media.
The wanted order also empowered security agencies and private citizens to arrest the lawmaker and hand him over to the Commission to face a 32-count charge bordering on fraud, forgery and diversion of funds.
However, Aliyu has denied any complicity in the contract scam.
When contacted, he denied the allegations, insisting that at no time did he defraud Jidda.
The lawmaker claimed he has refunded ₦45 million from his account to Jidda’s Mohiba Investment Ltd, and argued that the matter was a civil dispute over consultancy services rather than a criminal case.
He also denied forging the contract award letter, saying his role was limited to delivering the document. He added that his lawyers had written to the ICPC, notifying the Commission that the matter was already before a civil court.
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