The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Mr. Rabiu Musa Matazu, Director of Administration at the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), for illegally converting government funds to personal use.
Matazu was arraigned in Suit No. KTH/7C/2022 before Justice Abbas Bawule of the Katsina State High Court on a four-count charge of criminal breach of trust and abuse of office. ICPC prosecutor Ibrahim Garba told the court that in October 2014, the defendant diverted ₦305,000, which had been handed over to him by a subordinate, Mr. Lawal Dan Sarki, as rent proceeds from SRRBDA properties in Katsina State. Instead of remitting the money into the agency’s account, he pocketed it for personal gain.
The charge sheet stated: “That you, Rabiu Musa Matazu, sometimes in October 2014 or thereabout, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your position as Director of Administration, Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), to confer unfair advantage upon yourself by receiving the total sum of ₦305,000 proceeds from rent collected on behalf of your agency, which you converted to your personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
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Matazu pleaded not guilty, and the case went through a full trial that lasted three years. In his judgment, Justice Bawule found him guilty on all counts and convicted him accordingly.
He was sentenced to six months imprisonment or an option of ₦20,000 fine on counts one to three, and five years imprisonment without an option of fine on the fourth count. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The conviction, according to the ICPC, sends a strong message that abuse of office and corrupt enrichment will not go unpunished, reaffirming the Commission’s resolve to protect public resources and uphold accountability.
