ICPC Arraigns Nasir El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal Over ‘N8bn CCTV Contract Fraud’

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arranged former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

El-Rufai was arraigned with six other defendants before a Federal High Court in Kaduna over allegations of corruption, money laundering, and related offences.

Also named in the amended 11-count charge are Jimi Lawal, a former aide to el-Rufai, alongside five companies including Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

In a statement published on the website of ICPC, Bashir el-Rufai, the former governor’s elder brother, who is currently at large, is also mentioned in one of the counts.

The defendants appeared before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

In the amended charge sheet, ICPC alleged that the former Kaduna governor “unlawfully approved the award of a contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system in Kaduna Metropolis in the reviewed sum of ₦8,682,574,054.94 to Singularity Network Security Limited, contrary to public procurement laws, a company alleged to lack the requisite experience and qualifications”.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that they “knowingly received or took possession of funds amounting to over ₦2 billion through various transactions involving Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited between 2017 and 2022”.

Both el-Rufai and Lawal denied all the allegations and entered not-guilty pleas before the court.

Following the arraignment, the court fixed July 1, 2026, to rule on the defendants’ bail applications.

ALSO READ: ICPC Reacts As El-Rufai’s Family Protest Over His Continued Detention By DSS