A senior government official has been sentenced to five years in prison for diverting funds from a federal agency.
Rabiu Matazu, Director of Administration at the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), was convicted by a Katsina State High Court of abuse of office and criminal breach of trust.
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Demola Bakare, spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Bakare said Mr Matazu was found guilty of diverting N305,000 in rent proceeds from SRRBDA properties in Katsina State. He was first arraigned on a four-count charge in 2022.
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ICPC prosecutors, led by counsel Ibrahim Garba, told the court that Mr Matazu used his position to receive rent proceeds collected by a subordinate, Lawal Dan Sarki, which he then converted to personal use.
Justice Abbas Bawule sentenced him to six months in prison or a N20,000 fine on three counts, and five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on the fourth. The sentences will run concurrently.
The ICPC described the ruling as a warning to public officials who misuse their positions for personal gain.
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Nigeria has long struggled to curb corruption in its public institutions, particularly in resource-linked sectors such as water management, agriculture and energy.
The river basin authorities were established in the 1970s to boost irrigation and rural development, but have been hampered by corruption and mismanagement.
While the country has secured a number of high-profile convictions in recent years, anti-graft agencies have often been accused of targeting low- and mid-level officials while politically connected figures evade accountability. Transparency International ranks Nigeria 145th out of 180 countries on its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
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