Shema has been at the centre of two major corruption cases. In 2017, he was arraigned in court by the Katsina State government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly embezzling N11 billion.
President Bola Tinubu has announced new appointments to key agencies, including several officials with unresolved corruption allegations. Among them are NALDA chairman Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya, accused of diverting a N97 million streetlight project to his private residence, and FCDA chair Ibrahim Shehu Shema, who faced N11 billion and N5.7 billion graft cases. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed the appointments Saturday.
Shema’s prosecution was discontinued in 2023 without a verdict, while his SURE-P case remains pending since 2020. Also appointed is ex-Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, linked to multiple scandals, including the “complete fraud” Centenary City project and questioned over N520 million in 2015. Despite EFCC probes, none resulted in convictions.
The reappointments come amid scrutiny over accountability. Barkiya has never publicly addressed the streetlight allegations, while Anyim’s return follows his recent defection to the APC. Critics question due diligence in the selection process.