The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Malumfashi, and three other senior officials over their alleged involvement in a ₦1.02 billion fraud.
Justice James Omotosho also remanded the commission’s secretary, Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and the deputy director of accounts, Ado Garba, after the trio was arraigned on a six-count charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the ICPC, the defendants allegedly siphoned funds from KANSIEC by diverting the money through bank accounts linked to a private agricultural business, SLM Agro Global Farm. In one of the charges, the anti-graft agency alleged that between November and December 2024, the officials conspired to withdraw ₦450 million in cash through two accounts domiciled at Jaiz Bank.
The commission further alleged that within the same period, an additional ₦310 million and ₦260 million were transferred into two separate Jaiz Bank accounts—numbers 0018222634 and 0015932143—both belonging to the farm.
The ICPC stated that the alleged transactions violate Sections 2(1)(b) and 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the Act.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and applied for bail pending the determination of the case. Their counsel, Mr. Mahmud Magaji, SAN, told the court that his clients had earlier been granted administrative bail and had fully complied with its conditions.
However, the prosecution, led by Dr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the bail application but deferred to the court’s discretion.
Justice Omotosho directed the defendants to file a formal bail application to enable the prosecution respond properly. He subsequently adjourned the case to Wednesday and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
In this article