A recent case handled by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission involved the conviction of an accountant at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto. The accountant, Lukumanu Sani Waziri, was found guilty of embezzling over N60m through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
Waziri was convicted of corruption and abuse of office for diverting public funds into unauthorized private accounts, including his own and an accomplice’s, Monday Adejo. The ICPC’s spokesperson mentioned that Waziri was charged in 2021 alongside two others in a fraud case before Justice M. Abdulgafar at the Federal High Court in Sokoto.
During the trial, evidence was presented showing how Waziri altered financial records to facilitate the illegal transfer of government funds into private accounts. One of the charges detailed how Waziri and Adejo conspired to steal over N20m from GIFMIS and redirected funds meant for state taxes into private accounts.
Following the trial, Waziri was found guilty on seven of the nine charges. The court sentenced him to various prison terms and fines for the convictions. The sentences handed down will run concurrently, as per the court’s decision.