El-Rufai’s Former Aide, Two Ex-Appointees To Face Court January 17 Over Alleged N64Million Fraud

Also joined in the suit is Solar Life Nigeria limited, the company whose bank account was believed to have received the diverted fund.

Three ex-appointees of former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, January 17, 2025, to take their plea in a N64 million money laundering suit. 

The former appointees of El-Rufai are Mr. Lawal Shakiru Olajimi Adebisi, who was a Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to the former governor; the ex- accountant general of Kaduna State, Mr. Umar Waziri and Mr. Yusuf Inuwa, the former finance commissioner in the state.

Also joined in the suit is Solar Life Nigeria limited, the company whose bank account was believed to have received the diverted fund.

“The four accused persons are expected to appear in court on Friday, 17th of January, 2025 to take their plea,” Demola Bakare, ICPC Director of Public Enlightenment and Education and Spokesperson, said in a statement on Thursday.

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial division, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is accusing Mr. Lawal of conniving with the two other accused persons to divert N64,800,562 (Sixty-Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand, Five-hundred and Sixty-two Naira) in three tranches of N10,000,000,00, N47,840,000.00 and N7,320,562.00 to the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, where Mr. Lawal is believed to be the sole signatory.

ICPC had last week in a separate charge arraigned the former Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Finance in Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu for a money laundering suit.

The embattled former commissioner was arrested some weeks ago by the Kaduna State Police command over allegations of diversion of public funds, and was later remanded at the correctional centre in the Kaduna State capital.

An Assistant Legal Officer at ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, filed the case against the former finance commissioner at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

The anti-corruption agency accused Saidu of accepting a cash payment of N155,000,000 from Ibrahim Muktar, a public officer in the Ministry of Finance.