The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) charged Muhammad Bashir Saidu, the former chief of staff to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, in the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Saidu, a former Kaduna State Commissioner for Finance under El-Rufai’s rule, was charged with the same offense as Ibrahim Muktar, a Ministry of Finance public official.
In accordance with charge No. FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants were charged with two counts of money laundering.
This runs counter to the earlier assertion that, following a ten-month investigation, Saidu had been cleared of all charges.
Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, the ICPC’s Assistant Chief Legal Officer, signed the charge.
“Did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorized by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 2(a) and punishable under Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” according to the court document, which was filed by Saidu, who was then the Commissioner for Finance.
In March 2022, Saidu, who was then the Commissioner for Finance, “accepted cash payment of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorized by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 2(a) and punishable under Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” according to the court document.
The ICPC further claimed that during that time, Saidu “indirectly took control of the sum of N155,000,000.00 received in cash for and on behalf of you 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 offense contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The anti-graft agency pointed out 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,” according to section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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