Imrana Sulaiman Maikanti
Justice caught up with Rabiu Musa Matazu, Director of Administration at the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), as a Katsina State High Court sentenced him to six years in prison for abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) dragged Matazu before Justice Abbas Bawule in Suit No. KTH/7C/2022 on a four-count charge of criminal breach of trust and abuse of office.
Prosecutors told the court that in October 2014, Matazu collected ₦305,000 rent proceeds from SRRBDA properties in Katsina through his subordinate, but instead of remitting the funds into the agency’s coffers, he diverted them for personal use.
Despite pleading not guilty, a three-year trial nailed him. Justice Bawule convicted him on all counts, handing down six months imprisonment or a ₦20,000 fine on counts one to three, and a five-year jail term without option of fine on the fourth count. All sentences are to run concurrently.
The judgment, ICPC said, sends a clear message that public office is a trust and not an avenue for personal enrichment.