ICPC charges former El-Rufai’s aide Jimi Lawal with money laundering
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a five-count charge against Jimi Lawal, a former senior adviser to ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The charges, which involve alleged money laundering and unlawful diversion of public funds, also name Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited as co-defendants.
Filed on January 15, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Kaduna (Charge No. FCH/KD/16c/2025), the ICPC alleges that Lawal, in 2018, unlawfully diverted fundtotallingng ₦64,800,562 from various Kaduna State government accounts into a private account for Solar Life Nigeria Limited, where he was the sole signatory.
According to the ICPC, Lawal first transferred ₦10,000,000 from the Kaduna State Accountant General’s Operational Account through Guaranty Trust Bank’s Automated System (GAPS). He then transferred an additional ₦47,840,000 from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance account and ₦7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service account. All funds were allegedly funneled into the account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited.
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The ICPC stated, “Lawal ought to have known that the funds were part of proceeds of corruption, and 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.”
Lawal is also accused of providing false statements during investigations, claiming the ₦64,800,562 he received was paid as estacode to Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko. The ICPC maintains the statements were knowingly false, constituting an offence under Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
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