Katsina High Court jails SRRBDA director Rabiu Musa Matazu for five years over abuse of office.
ICPC says the conviction sends a strong message to officials misusing public funds.
The Katsina State High Court has sentenced Rabiu Musa Matazu, the Director of Administration at the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), to five years in prison after finding him guilty of abuse of office and criminal breach of trust.
The verdict, delivered by Justice Abbas Bawule, followed a three-year trial initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC). The anti-graft agency confirmed the conviction in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare.
According to the ICPC, Matazu was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on the diversion of rent proceeds belonging to the authority.
Prosecuting counsel Ibrahim Garba told the court that the official had collected ₦305,000 from a subordinate, Lawal Dan Sarki, proceeds from SRRBDA properties in Katsina State, and converted the funds for personal use.
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 sum of ₦305,000, proceeds from rent collected on behalf of SRRBDA, which you converted to your personal use.”
Although Matazu initially pleaded not guilty, the court found him culpable on all four counts.
He was handed a six-month imprisonment or an option of a ₦20,000 fine on three charges, and a five-year imprisonment without the option of a fine on the fourth count. The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning Matazu will serve a maximum of five years behind bars.
The ICPC hailed the ruling as a strong message to public officials entrusted with managing public resources.
“This judgment is a clear signal that any government officer who betrays public trust for personal gain will face the full weight of the law,” the agency noted.
