THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, and six others before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on an 11-count amended charge bordering on alleged corruption, money laundering and related offences.
News Point Nigeria reports that the six other defendants are Jimi Lawal, a former aide to el-Rufai; Singularity Network Security Limited; Solar Life Nigeria Limited; Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited; Intercellular Nigeria Limited; and Noble Coast Resources Limited.
In a statement published on its website, the ICPC also mentioned Bashir el-Rufai, an elder brother of the former governor who is currently at large, in one of the counts contained in the amended charge.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court, Kaduna.
According to the amended charge sheet, the anti-graft agency alleged that el-Rufai unlawfully approved the award of a contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system in Kaduna metropolis in the reviewed sum of ₦8,682,574,054.94 to Singularity Network Security Limited.
The ICPC alleged that the contract award was made contrary to public procurement laws, claiming that the company lacked the requisite experience and qualifications to execute the project.
The commission further alleged that the defendants knowingly received or took possession of funds amounting to more than ₦2 billion through various transactions involving Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited between 2017 and 2022.
At the arraignment, el-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
Following the proceedings, the court adjourned the matter until July 1, 2026, for ruling on the bail application filed by the defendants.
El-Rufai served as Governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
Lawal was a senior adviser to the former governor and served as a counsellor at the Kaduna Economic Development Council from 2019 to 2023. He also worked as el-Rufai’s special adviser during his first term in office.
The former governor is currently facing multiple prosecutions in different courts by both the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The ICPC had earlier arraigned el-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Kaduna and the Kaduna State High Court on separate charges bordering on alleged corruption and money laundering.
The DSS is also prosecuting the former governor on five counts over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone conversations linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In one of the ongoing cases before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, Justice Rilwani Aikawa granted el-Rufai bail in the sum of ₦200 million.
At the Kaduna State High Court, however, Justice Darius Khobo declined the former governor’s bail application.
Similarly, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted el-Rufai bail in the sum of ₦100 million with one surety in like sum.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the surety must reside in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja and must deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property with the court registry.