Local Criminal: Gombe State’s Chairman of Dukku Local Government, Jamilu Ahmed Shabewa Diverts Over N1.1 Billion Federal Funds To His Personal Account

Secrets Reporters

Documents exclusively obtained by this online media have revealed how the chairman of Dukku Local Government in Gombe State, Jamilu Ahmed Shabewa, leveraged his influence to divert major federal government contracts to his company. 

According to data in our possession, between 2019 and 2024, Shabewa Nigeria Limited, a company he floated in 2020, received many contracts from government coffers to the tune of 1,102,283,751.04.

Our investigations revealed that these contracts were awarded by federal entities such as Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, National Directorate of Employment, Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, National Cereals Research Institute, Office of The Head of The Civil Service of The Federation, Universal Basic Education, Nigeria Stored Products Research, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, among others. 

For instance, on 19th December 2019, the National Cereals Research Institute made a payment of ₦61,976,190.00 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited with transaction description “None”. 

On 30th December 2019, the National Productivity Centre transferred ₦59,477,192.86 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited with transaction description “Capital commitment payment in December, 2019 batch 6c”. 

A day later, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President wired ₦44,767,800.00 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited for the supply of grinding machine to Imo State. 

Fast forward to 2021, records have it that on 20th July 2021, the Federal College of Education, Kotangora, rewarded Shabewa Nigeria Limited with ₦21,803,505.22 “Being part payment to the above named company for the rehabilitation and expansion of the college clinic pv no cap/018/2021”. 

On 15th December 2021, the Nigeria Stored Products Research, Ilorin transferred ₦43,302,670.23 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited as “Final payment for pilot scale trails on nspri dust with grains merchants in north west, north central and south west for food safety north central sorgum”. 

In 2022, audit revealed that on 4th February, the National Directorate of Employment experienced an outflow of ₦22,221,204.44 in favour of Shabewa Nigeria Limited “Being payment for part funded construction of hand pumps borehole in tsanyawa/kunchi fed,const, Kano State.”

On 1st March 2022, the Nigeria Stored Products Research, Ilorin experienced a debit of ₦22,309,190.23 in favour of Shabewa Nigeria Limited as “Final payment for pilot scale trails on nspri dust with grains merchants in north west, north central and south west for food safety north central sorgum”. 

It was gathered that on 16th March 2022, the National Directorate of Employment escalated ₦14,749,275.28 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited “Being payment to shabewa nig ltd for part funded construction of 70 nos handpumps, borehole in tsanyawa/kunchi fed. const. Kano State”. 

Skip forward to 24th February 2023, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent ₦24,596,563.42 to Shabewa Nigeria Limited “Being payment for the provision and installation of 31nos solar powered street light to various communities in kumbototso federal constituency, Kano State”.

The company received ₦40,707,318.85 on 14th August 2023 from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency “For the continuation of tsanyawa general hospital tsanyawa/kinchi constituency, kano state, interim valuation certificate no.1”. 

Data have it that on 24th August 2023, Office of the Head of the Civil Service Of The Federation experienced an outflow of ₦63,003,362.50 in favour of Jamilu’s company as payment for “Consultancy service to conduct capacity building for senior/top mangement staff & stakeholders in ohcsf”.  

We also gathered that on 30th December 2023, the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria paid ₦63,176,744.19 to the company with transaction description as “None”. 

The trend continued this year as financial records have it that on 12th April 2024, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security transferred ₦84,600,000.00 to the company “Being payment made for emergency supply of rice palliative to tsanyawa/kunchi federal constituency, Kano State”.

More so, documents have it that on 2nd September 2024, Shabewa Nigeria Limited received ₦86,231,454.80 from the treasury of Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe “Being for construction and installation of all in one solar street light in various communities jemaa/sanga fed. const. Kaduna State”. 

Findings revealed that Shabewa Nigeria Limited was incorporated in Gombe, Nigeria with Registration Number 894026. It was registered on 21 June 2010 and its current status is unknown. The company’s registered office address is NO 1, Opp Zange Junction Dukku, Gombe, Gombe.

(Screenshot showing owners of Shabewa Nigeria Limited)

Jamilu Ahmed Shabewa has been serving as the Chairman of Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State since 2020. 

The law forbids public office holders from owning and running a company.