How Ahmad Salihijo, ex-REA MD, exposed rot in the agency
Ahmad Salihijo exposed the rot in the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) leading to the ongoing prosecution of its senior officials.
Salihijo was appointed MD of the agency by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2019 but was suspended in March 2024 by President Bola Tinubu and replaced with Abba Abubakar Aliyu.
REA, under the supervision of the federal ministry of power, came under scrutiny in 2023 following a series of internal and external investigations into its financial operations.
The agency’s management, led by Salihijo at the time, initiated an internal review, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) launched separate probes into alleged irregular payments, misappropriation of funds, and abuse of office.
In March 2024, Salihijo and members of the executive management were suspended amid concerns over weaknesses in government systems and financial controls.
However, sources familiar with the investigation said it was later discovered that disputed payments were processed without the approval of the former managing director or the executive management team, and without mandatory internal audit clearance.
Before his suspension, TheCable understands, Salihijo had raised concerns over irregular disbursement patterns through the government integrated financial management information system (GIFMIS), flagging unusual payment activities to relevant authorities.
The agency’s management was said to have initiated internal disciplinary measures, querying and suspending some officials in the finance and accounts department.
Subsequently, a recommendation for their dismissal was issued by the senior staff committee and forwarded to the supervising ministry for ratification.
Between August and September 2023, anti-graft agencies invited and interrogated several REA officials as part of efforts to review payment records, procurement processes, and internal controls tied to rural electrification projects nationwide.
lt was understood that investigations revealed that some officials allegedly bypassed established procedures by executing payments without requisite approvals.
Salihijo and Barka Sajou, the former executive director of technical services, were noticeably not charged to court by the anti-graft agencies.
Sources familiar with the investigation said that preliminary findings suggest that the alleged fraudulent transactions were carried out without the knowledge or authorisation of the former management.
In June 2024, a federal high court in Abuja ordered the remand of two officials — Emmanuel Titus Pada and Umar Karaye.
They were alleged to have defrauded the agency of N165 million and N261 million respectively under the “false presence of project supervision”. Another official mentioned in the case was Henrietta Okojie.
That same month, ICPC arraigned Usman Kwakwa, another REA official, for allegedly stealing N298 million through the agency’s payment platform. He was arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on a four-count charge.
In November 2024, the EFCC arraigned Sulieman Garba Bulkwang, REA director of human resources management before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the federal high court, Abuja.
Bulkwang was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on criminal diversion of funds and money laundering to the tune of N223,412,909.
In March 2025, the ICPC arraigned Netufo Olaniyi Alaba, one of the suspended REA executive directors, and Hassan Arivi Saddiq, managing director of Hassino Group Limited, for their alleged involvement in a N15 million contract fraud.
==== TE CABLE NEWS ===
