UNIBEN Staff, Two Others Arraigned Over Combined N653m Fraud

​MAIDUGURI & BENIN CITY — In a coordinated clampdown on financial crimes across the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has hauled three suspects before federal and state high courts in Edo and Borno states. The charges range from double-salary syndication to multi-million naira investment scams and advance fee fraud, totaling over N653.7 million.

​The Benin Double-Salary Scam

​In Benin City, the anti-graft agency’s Benin Zonal Directorate successfully arraigned Segun Bode Adedeji, an employee of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), before Justice E. G. Adekanmbi of the Edo State High Court.

​Adedeji is facing a four-count charge for allegedly defrauding the government of N3,285,396. According to the EFCC, intelligence operations exposed a fraudulent dual-employment scheme where Adedeji was simultaneously drawing full monthly salaries from both UNIBEN and the National Orthopedic Hospital in Benin City.

​N650m Nestle and Mining Fraud in Maiduguri

​Meanwhile, the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate executed a double-court arraignment for Abubakar Muhammad, who is accused of orchestrating a massive N650 million fraud. Muhammad appeared on consecutive days before Justice Shehu Umaru Adamu of the Federal High Court and Justice Amina Mustapha Ibrahim of the Borno State High Court.

​He faces a combined five counts centered on money laundering, criminal misappropriation, and breach of trust. The prosecution alleges that between January 2021 and February 2026, Muhammad received N650 million from a petitioner under the guise of investing it in a lucrative mining venture. Instead, the petitioner claims the funds were actually proceeds from the sale of Nestle consumer goods entrusted to Muhammad, who systematically manipulated sales records and funneled the cash into his personal accounts at United Bank for Africa (UBA), Taj Bank, and Moniepoint Microfinance Bank.

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​The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all counts. While prosecution counsel Mukhtar Ali Ahmed pushed for continuous EFCC custody, defense counsel B.G. Zanna secured a hefty bail from Justice Ibrahim. 

Justices Adamu and Ibrahim have adjourned the cases to June 11 and June 15, 2026, respectively, for the commencement of full hearings. ​CEO Remanded Over ‘Keke Napep’ Scam​In a separate development in Maiduguri, Bilal Muhammad, the Chief Executive Officer of GDF Home Sales Enterprises Ltd (also known as GDF Company), was docked before Justice Amina Mustapha Ibrahim on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretense. ​The court heard that in April 2025, the executive allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting citizen, Adamu Abubakar, of N500,000. Bilal Muhammad reportedly collected the cash under the false pretense of securing a commercial tricycle, popularly known as a Keke Napep.

​Excerpt from Count 1: “…with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N500,000 from Adamu Abubakar, under the false pretense that same is meant for the purchase of a Tricycle… a representation which you knew to be false…”

​Following a “not guilty” plea, prosecution counsel A.D. Abdulmalik successfully argued for the suspect’s detention. Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case to June 22, 2026, for hearing and ordered that the CEO be remanded at the Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Facility. The commission has urged members of the public to remain vigilant against investment scams and internal corporate fraud, advising whistleblowers to continue sharing credible intelligence with regional offices.​Inside Mega Mansions Recovered From Corrupt Nigerian Politicians By EFCC This video provides broader context on the scope of the anti-graft agency’s ongoing asset recoveries and investigations into high-profile financial fraud across Nigeria.