Court denies El-Rufai’s chief of staff bail

Former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Bashir Sa’idu, was denied bail application by the Kaduna State High Court and sent back to be remanded in the Correctional Facility on Tuesday.

Saidu, who also served as commissioner for finance, was charged before the Kaduna State High Court II on 10-count charges bordering on alleged money laundering, embezzlement, and stealing.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had filed similar charges against the commissioner at another court.

Besides, when the case came up for mention before Justice Isa Aliyu on Tuesday, the 10 charges were read to the hearing of the defendant, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The charges among others alleged that the former Commissioner sold $45million in hard currency belonging to the Kaduna State Government—equivalent to ₦18,450,000,000—at the significantly undervalued rate of ₦410 per dollar, instead of the parallel market rate of ₦498 per dollar, with criminal intent, resulting in a ₦3,960,000,000 loss to the government.

According to the prosecution, the offence allegedly took place in 2022, when Sa’idu served as Commissioner of Finance in El-Rufai’s administration.

The prosecution alleged that the ₦3billion discrepancy was laundered by Sa’idu, in violation of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Counsel to the Defendant, M I Abubakar notified the Court of a pending bail application, urging the Court to grant his client, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu bail, as he had already spent 21 days in custody since his arrest on 2nd January 2025.

While noting that, the bail application was filed before the Court on the 16th of January, arguing that, granting Sa’idu bail will allow him adequate time and facilities to file his defence to the charges against him.

The Prosecution Counsel, Prof. Nasiru Aliyu, however, raised an objection against the bail application, arguing that, the law provides that the Prosecution be allowed seven days to file its response to the bail application.

After about 40 minutes of recess, Justice Aliyu ruled that the prosecution be given adequate time provided by the law to file its defence to the bail application.

He. however, adjourned the case till 23rd January 2025 for a hearing of the bail application.