Adamu Aliyu, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Adamu Aliyu, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, wanted over allegations that he defrauded a businessman of ₦73.6 million using a fake Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) contract.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Friday following an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Investigators said the lawmaker repeatedly ignored invitations to respond to or refute the allegations.

According to court filings, the case arose from a petition by Mohammed Jidda, who alleged that Mr Aliyu promised to secure a ₦850 million TETFund contract at the University of Jos. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Mr Jidda reportedly paid ₦73.6 million to Mr Aliyu’s accounts and that of Imanal Concept Ltd, allegedly owned by Saad Abubakar, said to be the “facilitator” of the deal.

However, the University of Jos later confirmed no such contract existed and that the award letter presented was a forgery.

ICPC Investigation

The anti-graft agency obtained bank statements showing ₦47.8 million deposited into Mr Aliyu’s GTBank account, ₦22.4 million into Imanal Concept Ltd’s Zenith Bank account, and ₦3.2 million transferred directly to Mr Aliyu.

Despite several invitations, including via the Clerk of the Plateau Assembly and WhatsApp, Mr Aliyu allegedly failed to appear for questioning. His lawyers argued the matter was civil rather than criminal.

Court Order and Arrest Warrant

The ICPC approached the court for permission to declare the lawmaker wanted and to issue an arrest warrant. Justice Nwite granted the request, authorising publication of a “wanted” notice and empowering law enforcement agencies—including private citizens—to arrest Mr Aliyu and hand him over to the ICPC.

The ICPC also said it had credible intelligence that Mr Aliyu planned to flee the country to evade investigation, prompting the court action.

Lawmaker’s Response

In response, Mr Aliyu denied the allegations, claiming he was unaware of the ICPC’s invitations until the Plateau Assembly’s clerk informed him while he was in Saudi Arabia. He said he had refunded ₦45 million to the businessman’s company, Mohiba Investment Ltd, and denied issuing the forged contract letter, blaming Saad Abubakar for the document.