Kaduna State former Governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s former Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor, Mr. Jimi Lawal is in hot soup.
The
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has
filed a five-count charge of embezzlement against him.
The case, with charge number FCH/KD/16c/2025, was filed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Dr. Osuobeni Ekpi Akponimishingha on January 15, at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
He was
charged alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited.
The
corruption charges alleged that: “sometime in 2018, Jimi Lawal indirectly took
control of the sum of N10,000,000 from the Kaduna State Accountant-General
Operational Account and paid it into the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria
Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.”
“Jimi Lawal
ought to have known that the funds were part of the proceeds of corruption.”
“By doing
so, he allegedly committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and
punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and
Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
In count two
of the charges, Jimi Lawal is also accused of “indirectly taking control of
N47,840,000 from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance bank account in July
2018.”
The ICPC
alleged that: “In September 2018, while serving as a public officer in Kaduna
State as Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to Governor El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal
took control of N7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Internally Generated Revenue
account. The funds were said to have been domiciled in a bank acount and later
transferred to the another bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an
account for which he was the sole signatory”.
“Jimi 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.”
“Jimi Lawal
made false statements to Messrs Wellington Nkemadu and Gudi Johnson Daniel
during their investigative duties”.
“Jimi 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 bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited was paid to Bariatu
Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko as estacode.”
“Jimi 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.”
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