Why ICPC Is After Former Governor, El-Rufai’s Aides

By Onoolapo Abodunde

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to arraign in court, three ex-appointees of former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai in a fresh 64 million naira money-laundering suit.

The ex-appointees are Mr. Lawal Shakiru Olajimi Adebisi, a former Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to former governor, El-Rufai, 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.

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial division, ICPC is accusing Mr. Lawal of conniving with the two other accused persons to have diverted the total sum of 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.

The four accused persons are expected to appear in court on Friday, 17th of January, 2025 to take their plea.

It would be recalled that 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.

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ICPC, in a two-count charge also filed before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, accused Saidu of accepting a cash payment of N155,000,000 from Ibrahim Muktar, a public officer in the Ministry of Finance.