ICPC sues el-Rufai’s ex-adviser Jimi Lawal for ‘money laundering’

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a five-count charge against Jimi Lawal, an ex-aide of Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, over allegations of corruption and money laundering.

Lawal was a senior adviser to the former governor and a counsellor at the Kaduna Economic Development Council from 2019 to 2023.

He also served as el-Rufai’s special adviser during his first term.

Osuobeni Akponimishingha, ICPC’s assistant chief legal officer, filed the suit marked FCH/KD/16c/2025 on Wednesday before a federal high court in Kaduna.

Lawal will stand trial on a three-count charge alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited.

The ICPC alleged that, sometime in 2018, Lawal “indirectly took control of the sum of N10 million from the Kaduna State Accountant General Operational Account No. 0211139802 via the Guaranty Trust Bank Automated System (GAPS) and paid it into the Guaranty Trust Bank Account 0130133086 of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.”

The commission said the first defendant ought to have known that the funds were part of the proceeds of corruption.

In count two of the charge, Lawal is accused of indirectly taking control of N47.8 million from the Kaduna state ministry of finance through GTB account No. 0130133086 in July 2018.

Additionally, the ICPC alleged that in “September 2018, while serving as senior special adviser/counsellor to El-Rufai, Lawal took control of N7.3 million from the Kaduna state internally generated revenue account”.

The funds were said to have been “domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) account 10200067882 and later transferred to the Guaranty Trust Bank account 0130133086 of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory”.

The ICPC added that “Lawal ought to have known the funds were proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption, which contravenes section 18(2)(d) and is punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.

In the third count, the ICPC alleged that in “October 2024, Lawal made false statements to Messrs Wellington Nkemadu and Gudi Johnson Daniel during their investigative duties”.

According to the ICPC, “Lawal claimed that the total sum of N64,800,562—received in three tranches of N10,000,000, N47,840,000, and N7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Government through the Guaranty Trust Bank Account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited—was paid to Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko as estacode”.

“Lawal knew the statement was false and, in doing so, committed an offence under Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000,” the commission added.