ICPC charges another El-Rufai’s aide with money laundering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has filed five counts of money laundering against Jimi Lawal, a former aide to Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

Lawal, who served as Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to the former governor, was charged alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited.

He becomes the second ally of the ex-governor to be charged with corruption by the anti-graft agency.

Last year, the Kaduna State House of Assembly set up a panel to probe the financial dealings of the El-Rufai’s administration; and the panel in its report said it uncovered an alleged N423bn theft, an allegation the former governor vehemently denied and tagged politically motivated.

Two weeks ago, the ICPC disclosed that it had filed money laundering charges against Alhaji Muhammad Saidu, who served as Commissioner for Finance under El-Rufai.

The anti-graft agency accused the ex-finance commissioner of laundering N155m, adding that he was also under investigation for alleged N3.9bn fraud.

On Thursday, the EFCC revealed that Lawal, who served as El-Rufai’s Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor, laundered a total of N64,800,562 —in three tranches of N10,000,000, N47,840,000, and N7,320,562.

The case, with charge number FCH/KD/16c/2025, was filed by Dr. Osuobeni Ekpi Akponimishingha, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, on January 15, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Lawal indirectly took control of the funds “from the Kaduna State Accountant General Operational Account 0211139802 via the Guaranty Trust Bank Automated System and paid it into the Guaranty Trust Bank Account 0130133086 of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.”

He was also accused of illegally dipping his hands into the Kaduna State Internally Generated Revenue Account; and the account of the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance.

The ICPC said Lawal ought to have known that the funds were part of the proceeds of corruption, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In another count, the ICPC alleged that in October 2024, Lawal made false statements to Messrs. Wellington Nkemadu and Gudi Johnson Daniel during their investigative duties.

According to the complainant, Lawal claimed that the total sum of N64,800,562—received in three tranches of N10,000,000, N47,840,000, and N7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Government through the Guaranty Trust Bank Account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited—was paid to Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko as estacode.

The ICPC asserts that Jimi Lawal knew the statement was false and, in doing so, committed an offence under Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

El-Rufai, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, appears to fallen out of favour with the leaders of the party.

Last year, he was nominated for a ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu, but the National Assembly rejected his nomination, citing discreet security reports.

Recently, he was seen in a closed-door meeting with the allies of opposition figure, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the leadership of the Social Democratic Party, in what political analysts termed preparation for the 2027 general elections.