By Ogalah Ibrahim
A high court in Katsina State has sentenced a senior official of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) to five years in prison for diverting 305,000 naira in rent proceeds, the country’s anti-graft commission said on Wednesday.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said Rabiu Musa Matazu, the agency’s Director of Administration, was convicted by a Katsina State High Court on four counts of abuse of office and breach of trust.
ICPC prosecutors told the court that Matazu collected 305,000 naira ($200) in rent proceeds from a subordinate, which he converted to personal use. But the suspect denied the charges.
One of the charges read in part: “That you, Rabiu Musa Matazu, in October 2014, used your position as Director of Administration to confer unfair advantage upon yourself by receiving the total sum of ₦305,000, proceeds from rent collected on behalf of SRRBDA, which you converted to your personal use.
“Matazu pleaded not guilty, but after a three-year trial, Justice Abbas Bawule found him guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment or an option of ₦20,000 fine on three counts, and five years imprisonment without an option of fine on the fourth count. The sentences will run concurrently.”
Justice Abbas Bawule sentenced him to six months in prison or a 20,000 naira fine on three counts, and five years without the option of a fine on the fourth. The terms will run concurrently, ICPC said.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has struggled for decades to curb corruption in public institutions, with watchdogs warning that weak enforcement continues to undermine trust in government.
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