High Court Orders Remand of El-Rufai’s Ex-Chief of Staff in Alleged Money Laundering Case

The Kaduna State High Court has ordered the remand of Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, the former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, in a correctional facility as his bail application hearing was adjourned to Thursday, January 23, 2025. Sa’idu, who also held the position of Commissioner for Finance, faces a 10-count charge, including allegations of money laundering, embezzlement, and stealing.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has also filed similar charges against Sa’idu at another State High Court. During Tuesday’s proceedings, the charges were read to the defendant, who pleaded not guilty to all counts. The charges allege that Sa’idu was involved in the sale of $45 million in hard currency belonging to the Kaduna State Government at a significantly undervalued rate, causing a loss of nearly ₦4 billion to the state.
The prosecution claims that the sale of the foreign currency took place in 2022 when Sa’idu served as the Commissioner for Finance under the administration of El-Rufai. The charges further state that the loss was laundered by Sa’idu, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
Sa’idu’s legal counsel, M I Abubakar, filed a bail application, urging the court to grant bail since the defendant has already been in custody for 21 days following his arrest on January 2, 2025. However, the prosecution objected, requesting additional time to file a response. After a brief recess, Justice Isa Aliyu ruled to allow the prosecution adequate time to submit its response and adjourned the case until January 23, 2025, for the bail hearing.