By Seyi Odewale
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, his former Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor, Jimi Lawal, and five others over an alleged N8.68 billion Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) contract, accusing them of corruption, money laundering and abuse of public procurement processes.
The high-profile prosecution, filed before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, marks the latest legal challenge confronting the former governor, who is also standing trial in a separate case instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged unlawful interception of communications.
el-Rufai, Lawal and the other defendants were docked before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari on an amended 11-count charge marked FHC/KD/93C/2026.
The anti-graft agency also listed five companies—Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited—as corporate defendants in the case.
Also named in the charge is Bashir El-Rufai, identified by the commission as the former governor’s elder brother, who is currently at large.
According to the ICPC, the charges stem from the award of an N8.68 billion contract for the procurement, design and installation of a CCTV surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis during el-Rufai’s administration.
The commission alleged that the contract was awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited despite the company’s alleged lack of technical competence and statutory qualifications required to execute a project of that magnitude.
The prosecution further alleged that funds paid under the contract were subsequently diverted and laundered through a network of companies and individuals between 2017 and 2022.
Investigators claimed that more than N2 billion traced during the investigation represents suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
The ICPC maintained that the alleged transactions contravened provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as Nigeria’s public procurement laws.
The commission accused El-Rufai of approving the contract despite allegedly being aware that the contractor lacked the capacity to undertake the project.
The defendants, however, denied all the allegations.
When the charges were read in court, both El-Rufai and his former adviser, Lawal, pleaded not guilty, paving the way for a full trial.
Following the arraignment, counsel to the defendants urged the court to admit their clients to bail pending the determination of the case.
Justice Buhari adjourned proceedings until July 1, 2026, when the court is expected to rule on the bail applications.
The prosecution adds to the growing list of legal battles involving the former Kaduna governor, whose ongoing trial in Abuja over alleged illegal interception of communications has continued to attract national attention.
