ICPC charges el-Rufai’s aide with money laundering

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged former Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s ex-Chief of Staff, Muhammad Bashir Saidu, to the Federal High Court in Kaduna for allegedly looting government’s treasury.

Saidu who was also a former Commissioner of Finance in Kaduna State under the el-Rufai administration, was charged along with one Ibrahim Muktar, an officer in the Ministry of Finance, yesterday.

According to charge, No FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are accused of a two-count charge of money laundering, contrary to earlier claim that Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The court document stated that sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Saidu, who at that time Commissioner of Finance, “did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar, exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your special assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The charge sheet, which was signed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, was filed yesterday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.