Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s bid to re-arraign three senior National Assembly officials over an alleged N337.06 million fraud was on Monday stalled at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jikwoyi, Abuja, following a preliminary objection by one of the defendants.
The anti-graft agency had sought to re-arraign Aishatu Bappa El-Nafaty, Director of Public Affairs in the Directorate of Special Duties and Parliamentary Security; former National Assembly Permanent Secretary, Mamud Alhaji Abubakar; and Deputy Director of Procurement, Igba Ityoakura Joseph, on an amended 23-count charge.
The charges border on conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust, official corruption and the alleged unlawful conversion of National Assembly funds amounting to N337,062,350.
However, proceedings were interrupted after counsel to the second defendant, Muhammed Ndayako (SAN), urged the court to strike out counts three, four, five, six, seven and 18 of the amended charge.
He argued that the counts were incompetent and amounted to an attempt to revive charges previously quashed by the court in a ruling delivered on May 12, 2025.
Responding, EFCC counsel, Francis Usani, said the prosecution was only served with the objection on June 5, despite the defence having more than a month since the last adjournment to file it.
He described the application as frivolous and intended to frustrate the planned re-arraignment, urging the court to dismiss it and allow the defendants to take their pleas.
According to the amended charge, the defendants allegedly conspired between 2017 and 2019 to commit criminal breach of trust while serving in various capacities within the National Assembly.
One of the counts alleged that El-Nafaty dishonestly converted N89.87 million transferred from National Assembly management overhead and general services accounts in SunTrust Bank into a personal account domiciled in the same bank.
The EFCC also accused her of allegedly producing false receipts between 2017 and 2018, purportedly issued by Fazah Integrated Services Limited, with the intent to defraud.
During the proceedings, the first defendant indicated her intention to file a similar preliminary objection.
Justice Muhammed Zubairu subsequently directed her to do so within 48 hours and ordered the prosecution to file its response to the objections.
The judge adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026, for hearing on the preliminary objections, putting the proposed re-arraignment on hold pending the court’s determination of the applications.
