THE arrest of a former Kaduna Commissioner of Finance and Local Governments, Mohammed Bashir Sa’idu by the Police over alleged money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds has been confirmed.
A security source confirmed to this newspaper that a petition received by the Police accused Sa’idu of laundering N3.96 billion and misappropriating N244 million during his tenure in the Kaduna State government between 2015 and 2023.
The allegations include the sale of $45 million in state-owned foreign currency at an undervalued exchange rate of N410 per dollar instead of the parallel market rate of N498 per dollar, causing a loss of over N3.96 billion to the government.
The source said this transaction breaches Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Sa’idu is also accused of failing to account for proceeds from the sale of government houses in Marafa Estate, Kaduna, amounting to approximately N244 million.
This constitutes a breach of trust under Section 300 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
Reports indicate the Kaduna Assembly previously investigated Sa’idu’s financial dealings and forwarded its findings to anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). As part of the investigation, Sa’idu’s international passport has been seized.
Critics have attempted to frame the arrest as politically motivated, claiming it was orchestrated through Operation Fushin Kada, a unit established to combat banditry. However, the police have dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the arrest is based on credible allegations of financial crimes.
Sa’idu, who served in various capacities in Kaduna State, including as Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Finance, remains in detention as at the time of filling this report.
