See Why EFCC Dragged Two Men to Court After Collecting Just N40k from a Chinese Suspect

Two men, Shehu Abdu and Isah Saidu, have found themselves in serious trouble after allegedly collecting just N40,000 to act as fake sureties for a Chinese man wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for illegal mining.

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned the duo before Justice A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, June 2, 2025. Their offence? Allegedly giving false information to EFCC operatives in order to secure the release of one Ji Zhou, a Chinese national arrested for illegal solid mineral mining and economic sabotage.

According to EFCC investigators, Abdu and Saidu told officials that Zhou was a personal acquaintance and pledged to produce him whenever needed. They even signed a N10 million bail bond on his behalf. But when it was time to produce the suspect, both men claimed they never knew him and had simply been paid N40,000 by Zhou’s lawyer to pretend otherwise.

Now, they’re the ones in handcuffs.

The charge against Shehu Abdu reads:

“That you, SHEHU ABDU, on or about the 8th of May, 2023, in Kaduna… gave false information to a public servant which made him release one Ji Zhou on administrative bail… an act which he would not have done had the true state of facts been known to him…”

A similar charge was read to Isah Saidu for his role in the deception.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecuting counsel Y.J. Matiyak asked the court to remand the suspects and set a date for trial. Justice Isiaka ordered them to be held at the Kaduna Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to June 16, 2025 for a ruling on their bail applications.

The EFCC is urging Nigerians to avoid being used as tools in fraudulent bail setups, warning that the consequences can be severe, just like Abdu and Saidu are now learning the hard way.

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