The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former official of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and others in court over an alleged N2.2 billion contract fraud case.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the EFCC took Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, who used to be the National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) at the NEDC, to court in Abuja. Alongside him were Prince Chibuike Echem, chief executive officer of Bondpay, and a third man, Aminu Alhaji, who is still at large.

They were arraigned before Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Zuba, on a 54-count amended charge. The charges include conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, and forgery involving about N2.28 billion.

According to the EFCC, the three men allegedly tricked a construction and equipment supply company, Diamond Leeds Limited, by pretending they had the power to award and execute government contracts under the NEDC’s programme. Prosecutors say this fraud occurred between May 2022 and February 2024.

One count of the charge states the defendants conspired with each other to obtain the N2.28 billion from the Managing Director of Diamond Leeds Limited, Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, by false pretences. In another count, they are accused of obtaining N573.5 million through a bank account belonging to Echem by claiming they could award and execute contracts they knew they could not.

When the charges were read in court, Mohammed and Echem pleaded not guilty to all counts. The third defendant, Aminu Alhaji, has not yet been arrested.

After the hearing, the prosecution asked the court to remand the defendants in prison while their case continues, and the defence said they had filed a bail application on behalf of the accused. Prosecutors opposed immediate bail because they had just been served with the defence’s papers and needed time to prepare a response.

Justice Ogbonnaya agreed to give the prosecution time to respond and ordered that Mohammed and Echem be held at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State while their trial proceeds. The matter was then adjourned to March 25, 2026, for the bail arguments to begin.

The EFCC’s investigations revealed that the syndicate allegedly set up a bank account with the acronym “NEDC” from which some of the funds were returned to the complainant under the false claim that they were payments for equipment supplied. The probe also uncovered additional alleged fraudulent activities that reportedly led to Danjuma Mohammed’s removal from his NEDC post.