ICPC charges El-Rufai, ex-aide, and firms over N8.68 billion CCTV contract fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday charged former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, his ex-Senior Special Adviser Jimi Lawal, and five companies. They are facing claims of corruption and money laundering linked to an N8.68 billion CCTV contract.

The defendants appeared before trial judge Hauwa’u Buhari at the Federal High Court in Kaduna. They faced 111 amended charges filed by the anti-corruption agency.

The ICPC filed these charges in April against El-Rufai, who is already facing other corruption cases.

According to a statement from the ICPC’s Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, El-Rufai is the first defendant in case number FHC/KD/93C/2026.

Other defendants include Lawal, Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, and Noble Coast Resources Limited. The commission also mentioned Bashir El-Rufai, the former governor's elder brother, in one count. He is currently on the run.

Allegations

The amended charges claim that while El-Rufai was governor, he approved a contract worth N8.68 billion for a CCTV surveillance system in Kaduna. The ICPC alleged that the contract went to Singularity Network Security Limited, a company that did not have the right experience or qualifications, breaking public procurement laws.

The commission also claimed that money from this contract was moved through various companies and individuals.

The ICPC stated that the charges include claims about receiving and moving funds that are suspected to be from illegal activities. The defendants allegedly received or handled over N2 billion through transactions involving the five companies from 2017 to 2022.

One charge states that El-Rufai helped corruption by approving the CCTV contract even when he knew the company lacked the necessary experience and that the process broke the law. The charges go against the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Defendants plead not guilty

Both El-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read in court.

After they pleaded, Judge Buhari postponed the case until July 1 for a decision on the defendants' bail request.

This case adds to several corruption cases against El-Rufai by the ICPC. In March, the commission charged him and an associate, Joel Adoga, with laundering N579 million and $1.1 million believed to be from illegal activities. The defendants also pleaded not guilty in that case.

El-Rufai is facing another case at the Kaduna State High Court, where the ICPC revised earlier charges and re-arraigned him for alleged abuse of office, procurement issues, and related offences during his time as governor.

He has denied any wrongdoing in these cases.