ICPC arraigns former El-Rufai’s official for alleged money laundering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Bashir Saidu, former chief of staff to ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, for alleged money laundering.

Mr Saidu also served as commissioner of finance during Mr El-Rufai’s administration. He was arraigned at the Kaduna Federal High Court alongside Ibrahim Muktar, a civil servant with the state Ministry of Finance.

According to case file No FHC/KD/IC/2025 published by Daily Trust, the defendants face two charges of money laundering.

Court documents stated that sometime in March 2022, as the commissioner of finance, he “did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

The ICPC also alleged that in the same March 2022 or thereabouts, Mr Saidu “indirectly took control of the sum of N155,000,000.00 received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which fund you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

According to Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than 14 years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.

The charge, signed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, was filed on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

Background

The Kaduna State House of Assembly, in a report, had indicted Mr El-Rufai for allegedly siphoning the state government’s funds to the tune of over N423 billion.

Many of Mr El-Rufai’s officials are also facing charges in the state or before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau over alleged fraud.

Among them is Mr Saidu who was arraigned on Tuesday.

Earlier arrest

According to credible sources, including family and associates, the police besieged a residence near Mr Saidu’s house at Coronation Crescent, in Kaduna on Sunday before arresting him in the Rigachikun area.

He was subsequently taken to the Operation Fushin Kada office on Constitution Road for questioning, before being arraigned at a magistrate court in Rigasa that same day. This was despite his reported denial of money laundering allegations and the alleged sale of 12 government houses.

A political ally of Mr Saidu, Ibrahim Mohammed, told PREMIUM TIMES that after hearing the prosecution and defence counsels, the magistrate, Muhammad Musa, rejected Mr Saidu’s bail application and ordered him remanded at the Kaduna Central Prison.

The case was adjourned to 21 January.

PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that Mr El-Rufai, alongside some ex-commissioners and friends, visited Mr Saidu in the prison on Monday.