The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, February 5, 2026, arraigned a former vice chancellor of the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, Professor Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi, before a Katsina State High Court over an alleged N19.7 million bribery scandal.

According to EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, Bichi allegedly received kickbacks from contractors through the two co-defendants in exchange for the award of contracts for the supply of medical equipment and laboratory furnishings during his tenure as vice chancellor.

Bichi was docked before Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar alongside two others, Lawal Tukur Mani and Aliyu Lawal Jari, on a five-count charge bordering on bribery.

One of the charges stated that Bichi, in July 2023, obtained a N5 million bribe from Theophilus Ilechukwu of Goezek International Agency Nigeria Limited as a reward for awarding contracts to the company, and directed that the money be paid into an Access Bank account belonging to Aliyu Lawal Jari.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Salihu Sani, requested a trial date, while defence counsels, A.L. Yusuf and Raphael Henry, applied for bail.

Justice Abubakar granted each defendant bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum and adjourned the matter to March 12, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

Meanwhile, in a separate development in Abuja, a Federal High Court ordered the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate alleged tampering with evidence in an ongoing N10 billion fraud trial involving Ali Bello.

Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, issued the order following a disclosure by the court registrar, Nasiru Onimisi Zubairu, who confessed that he was approached by the second defendant in the case, Daudu Sulaiman, to delete WhatsApp messages from a mobile phone tendered as evidence.

According to the registrar, Sulaiman offered to help him secure accommodation in exchange for deleting certain chats contained in Exhibits N and O, which were deposited with the court.

Justice Omotosho played the registrar’s confession in open court and reaffirmed the court’s zero tolerance for any attempt to compromise judicial processes.

An EFCC operative and investigating officer, Muhammed Audu Abubakar, told the court that several WhatsApp chats between 2020 and 2022 had indeed been deleted from the phone, including messages allegedly referencing large cash transactions running into tens of millions of naira.

Reacting to the development, Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to order a forensic investigation of the exhibits and to consider revoking the defendant’s bail, citing strong suspicion of evidence tampering.

However, defence counsel urged the court to await the outcome of the investigation.

Justice Omotosho consequently directed the police and DSS to conduct a full investigation into the matter and adjourned the case to February 9, 2026, for continuation of trial. (The Sun)