Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before a Federal High Court in Kaduna over an alleged ₦8.68 billion CCTV surveillance contract.
El-Rufai was arraigned alongside his former Senior Special Adviser, Jimi Lawal, and five companies on an 11-count amended charge bordering on corruption, money laundering and related offences.
The charge, marked FHC/KD/93C/2026 and filed before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, lists El-Rufai as the first defendant alongside Lawal, Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.
Bashir El-Rufai, an elder brother of the former governor who is currently at large, is also mentioned in one of the counts.
According to the amended charge, the ICPC alleged that El-Rufai, while serving as governor, unlawfully approved the award of a contract valued at ₦8.68 billion for the procurement, survey planning, final design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis.
The Commission alleged that the contract was awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited in violation of public procurement laws, claiming the company lacked the requisite qualifications and experience for the project.
The anti-corruption agency further alleged that proceeds from the contract were subsequently transferred through various companies and individuals.
Several counts in the charge relate to the alleged receipt, possession and movement of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, involving sums running into billions of naira.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In one of the counts, the ICPC alleged that El-Rufai aided an act of corruption by approving the contract despite knowing that the procurement process violated legal requirements.
The Commission also alleged that between 2017 and 2022, the defendants knowingly received or took possession of more than ₦2 billion through transactions involving Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.
According to the ICPC, the funds formed part of proceeds reasonably suspected to have originated from unlawful activities, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
When the charges were read, El-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Following their plea, defence counsel applied for bail pending trial, while the prosecution opposed aspects of the applications and urged the court to consider the circumstances surrounding the case.
Justice Buhari subsequently adjourned proceedings to July 1, 2026, for a ruling on the bail applications and further directions on the trial.