ICPC Drags el-Rufai’s Ex-Commissioner To Court Over Alleged Money Laundering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s former Chief of Staff and Finance Commissioner, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu to the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

Alhaji Saidu was charged along with one Ibrahim Muktar, ‘’a public officer in the employment of Ministry of Finance,’’ on Tuesday.

According to charge No FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are slammed when a two-count charge bordering on money laundering.

This is contrary to earlier claim that Saidu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The court document stated that sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Saidu, as Commissioner of Finance, ‘’did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law.

He was alleged to have collected the cash by proxy through his Special Assistant Muazu Abdu, thereby “committed an offence contrary to Section 2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

The ICPC also alleged that same March 2022 or thereabouts, Saidu iindirectly took control of N155, 000,000.00 received in cash for, and on his behalf by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, “which fund you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 states that ‘’any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.’’

The charge which was signed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, was filed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna.