The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two Nigerian men, Shehu Abdu and Isah Saidu, for allegedly posing as fake sureties for Ji Zhou, a Chinese national wanted for illegal mining activities and economic sabotage in Nigeria.
According to an official EFCC statement released on Tuesday, the two men were charged before Justice A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, June 2, 2025. The charges stem from allegations that they knowingly provided false information to a public servant—an offence punishable under Section 105(a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
The EFCC stated that Abdu and Saidu had presented themselves as credible guarantors for Zhou, assuring the Commission that they were closely acquainted with him and would ensure his availability whenever required. On the basis of their guarantees, Zhou was granted administrative bail, and the two suspects signed a N10 million bond to that effect.
However, the situation unraveled when Zhou failed to appear as required by the EFCC. During questioning, Abdu and Saidu reportedly admitted that they had no personal relationship with the Chinese suspect. Instead, they claimed Zhou’s lawyer paid them ₦40,000 each to act as sureties—a revelation that deeply undermined the legal integrity of the bail process.
“We didn’t even know the man,” one of the suspects is quoted as telling investigators. “His lawyer paid us ₦40,000 each just to stand in as sureties.”
The EFCC emphasized that Zhou’s release—based on the deceitful actions of the two accused—would never have been approved had the true facts been disclosed at the time. The Commission has since launched a manhunt for Zhou, who is now at large.
The charges brought against Abdu and Saidu are nearly identical. One of the counts reads:
“That you, SHEHU ABDU, on or about the 15th day of May, 2025, in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly gave false information to a public servant which led to the release of one Ji Zhou on administrative bail—an act that would not have occurred if the true state of facts were known…”
Both men pleaded “not guilty” during their arraignment.
EFCC counsel, Y.J. Matiyak, urged the court to fix a trial date and requested that the accused be remanded in custody pending the outcome of their bail applications.
In response, Justice Isiaka adjourned the matter to June 16, 2025, for a ruling on their bail status and ordered that the defendants be held at the Kaduna Correctional Centre in the interim.
An EFCC official, speaking anonymously, described the case as a stark example of how easily the judicial process can be compromised through the use of “rented sureties.” He warned: “This is how illegal miners and other economic saboteurs slip through the cracks—through deception and legal loopholes. But those cracks are closing.”
The case continues to highlight the urgent need for reforms in Nigeria’s bail and surety system, particularly in high-stakes cases involving foreign nationals and economic crimes.