Jimi Lawal, a former senior adviser to Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, has been charged with multiple counts of corruption and money laundering by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The charges, which include five counts of financial misconduct, were filed on Wednesday before a federal high court in Kaduna.
Lawal, who served as a senior adviser to el-Rufai during his first term and later as a counselor at the Kaduna Economic Development Council from 2019 to 2023, faces trial alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited.
The charges, brought before the court under case number FCH/KD/16c/2025, allege that Lawal was involved in the illegal diversion of government funds.
According to the ICPC, in 2018, Lawal is said to have taken control of N10 million from the Kaduna State Accountant General’s Operational Account and transferred it into the account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory.
The commission claims that Lawal should have known that these funds were proceeds of corruption.
Further allegations suggest that in July 2018, Lawal also indirectly took control of N47.8 million from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance, channeling it into the same account linked to Solar Life Nigeria Limited.
Another charge involves a transfer of N7.3 million from the state’s internally generated revenue account in September 2018, which was also allegedly funneled into the same account.
Read Also: 2027 election: El-Rufai, Al-Mustapha, Atiku allies meet SDP leadership in Abuja
The ICPC contends that Lawal, during his tenure as a senior special adviser, ought to have been aware that these funds were illicit proceeds, violating the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
In addition, the commission has accused Lawal of making false statements in October 2024 during an investigation by ICPC officers Wellington Nkemadu and Gudi Johnson Daniel.
Lawal reportedly misled investigators, claiming that N64.8 million in total, allegedly received from the Kaduna State Government through Solar Life Nigeria Limited, was paid out as estacode for two individuals, despite knowing the statement was false.
These charges come at a time when the fight against corruption in Nigeria is under intense scrutiny, with Lawal now facing the legal consequences of alleged financial misconduct during his influential role in the former governor’s administration.
The trial is expected to shine a spotlight on the larger issue of corruption in the state’s finances.
.){kind=link}