By Kolawole Ojebisi
From all indications, this is not the best of seasons for the allies and members of the political camp of former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
This is as Jimi Lawal, a former aide to ex-Minister of Federal Capital Territory, and one time Managing director of a now distressed bank in Lagos, has been charged to court for alleged corruption and money laundering.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed a five-count charge against Jimi Lawal with charge number FCH/KD/16c/2025 by Dr. Osuobeni Ekpi Akponimishingha, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, on January 15, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
Lawal, who served as Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to El-Rufai, is charged alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited.
The complainant alleged that, sometime in 2018, Lawal “indirectly took control of the sum of N10,000,000 from the Kaduna State Accountant General Operational Account 0211139802 via the Guaranty Trust Bank Automated System (GAPS) and paid it into the Guaranty Trust Bank Account 0130133086 of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.”
The ICPC further stated that the former aide to El-Rufai ought to have known that the funds were part of the proceeds of corruption.
By doing so, he allegedly committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In count two of the charges, Lawal is accused of indirectly taking control of N47,840,000 from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance through GTB Account 0130133086 in July 2018.
Additionally, the ICPC alleged that in September 2018, while serving as a public officer in Kaduna State as Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to Governor El-Rufai, he took control of N7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Internally Generated Revenue Account.
The funds were said to have been domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) Account 10200067882 and later transferred to the Guaranty Trust Bank Account 0130133086 of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.
The ICPC emphasized that he ought to have known that the funds were proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption, which contravenes Section 18(2)(d) and is 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, Jimi 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 asserted that Lawal knew that 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.
Recall that about two weeks ago, Bashir Sa’idu, a former Commissioner during Nasiru El-Rufai’s administration, was remanded in a Kaduna correctional facility over alleged corruption and money laundering, involving over N4billion
The ex+governor would later visit his former aide in the correctional facility , accompanied by key allies from his administration,
El-Rufai reportedly attempted to meet the presiding judge at the court where Sa’idu was arraigned but was unsuccessful.
According to a BBC Hausa report, the former Governor later visited the office of Operation Fushin Kada, the unit involved in Sa’idu’s arrest, but could not engage with security operatives present.
