The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has charged former Kaduna State Governor, his former adviser Jimi Lawal, and five others over an alleged N8.68 billion CCTV surveillance contract awarded during his administration.
The defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where the anti-graft agency accused them of offences ranging from corruption to money laundering. Several companies linked to the project were also listed in the case, while Bashir El-Rufai, identified as the former governor’s elder brother, was named in one of the counts and is reportedly not yet in custody.
According to the commission, the CCTV project contract was awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited despite claims that the company lacked the necessary expertise and qualifications. Investigators further alleged that funds connected to the project were routed through multiple firms and individuals over several years.
The ICPC said transactions exceeding N2 billion were traced to the accused persons and companies between 2017 and 2022, adding that the money is suspected to have been derived from unlawful activities in breach of anti-money laundering laws.
Count One reads, ‘’That you, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (M) sometime in December, 2015 or thereabout at Kaduna, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna State aided an act of corruption, when you approved the award of contract for the procurement of survey planning, final design and installation of CCTV at Kaduna metropolis in the reviewed sum of N8,682,574,054.94 (Eight Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, Fifty-Four Naira, Ninety-Four Kobo) to Messrs. Singularity Network Security Limited, a company with no requisite experience and in violation of procurement laws, which act you knew was unlawful and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act, 2022.’’
El-Rufai and Lawal denied the allegations when they entered their pleas. The court has fixed July 1, 2026, to determine their bail applications.
The former governor is also facing a separate legal battle initiated by the Department of State Services over allegations involving the interception of the phone communications of National Security Adviser .
