A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Adamu Aliyu, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Jos North Constituency, wanted over an alleged fraudulent N73.6 million TETFund contract deal.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed an application accusing the lawmaker of fraud, forgery, and diversion of funds.

How the Scam Allegedly Happened

According to court documents, businessman Mohammed Jidda petitioned the ICPC, claiming Aliyu promised to help him secure an N850 million TETFund contract at the University of Jos. Both men reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), after which Jidda paid N73.6 million upfront.

Investigations revealed that:

N47.8 million was deposited into Aliyu’s personal GTBank account.

N22.4 million went into Imanal Concept Ltd’s Zenith Bank account (owned by Saad Abubakar, said to be Aliyu’s associate).

Another N3.2 million was also paid directly to Aliyu.

Jidda was later handed a contract award letter for a N500 million indoor sports hall project. However, the University of Jos denied ever issuing the contract and confirmed in writing that the document was forged.

ICPC Moves Against Aliyu

The ICPC told the court that despite repeated invitations, Aliyu failed to honour its summons. The Commission also claimed it had intelligence that the lawmaker was planning to flee the country.

Justice Nwite, therefore, granted ICPC’s request to declare Aliyu wanted, authorising his name to be published in national newspapers and online. Security agencies and private citizens have also been empowered to arrest him and hand him over to the Commission to face a 32-count charge.

Aliyu’s Defence

In his reaction, Aliyu denied defrauding Jidda. He claimed he had already refunded N45 million to Jidda’s company, Mohiba Investment Ltd, and described the issue as a civil dispute over consultancy services, not a criminal matter.

He further denied forging the contract letter, stating that his role was only to deliver the document, and added that his lawyers had already informed the ICPC that the case was pending before a civil court.

With the court’s declaration, the Plateau lawmaker now faces arrest and prosecution as the ICPC intensifies efforts to recover the alleged diverted funds.