NIGERIA: ICPC To Arraign Three Former El-Rufai Appointees Over Alleged N64 Million Fraud

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will, on Friday, January 17, 2025, arraign three former senior officials of the Kaduna State Government under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai over an alleged N64.8 million fraud.

The Spokesperson of the Commission, Demola Bakare, fsi, made this known in a statement on Thursday.

He stated that the accused individuals to be arraigned include Mr. Lawal Shakiru Olajimi Adebisi, a former Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to El-Rufai; Mr. Umar Waziri, the ex-Accountant General of Kaduna State; and Mr. Yusuf Inuwa, the former Commissioner for Finance.

Also named in the suit is Solar Life Nigeria Limited, a company whose bank account allegedly received the diverted funds. ICPC investigations indicate that Mr. Lawal is the sole signatory to the company’s account.

Bakare further noted that following court documents filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, the defendants are accused of conspiring to divert N64,800,562 in three separate tranches of N10 million, N47.84 million, and N7.32 million into Solar Life Nigeria Limited’s account.

The ICPC charges are part of an ongoing crackdown on corruption and financial crimes. Last week, the commission also arraigned the former Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu in Kaduna State, in a separate case involving N155 million.

Sa’idu was charged with accepting funds from a public officer in the Ministry of Finance in violation of anti-corruption laws.

However, Bakare reiterated the commission’s commitment to holding public officials accountable and urged citizens to support the fight against corruption.