A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof Sani Malumfashi, alongside three other senior officials of the commission, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over their alleged involvement in a N1.02 billion fraud.
The ruling was delivered by the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, following the arraignment of the defendants by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Also remanded in custody are the Secretary of KANSIEC, Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and the Deputy Director of Accounts, Ado Garba.
The three officials were arraigned with Prof. Malumfashi on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering and diversion of public funds.
According to the ICPC, the defendants allegedly siphoned funds from the coffers of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission through the use of private bank accounts belonging to a farm identified as SLM Agro Global Farm, domiciled at Jaiz Bank.
In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency told the court that between November and December 2024, the defendants conspired among themselves in Kano State to take possession of N450 million in cash, using two bank accounts operated in the name of SLM Agro Global Farm.
The commission further alleged that within the same period, the Kano electoral officials diverted an additional N310 million and N260 million into account numbers 0018222634 and 0015932143 at Jaiz Bank, both of which allegedly belong to the said farm.
The ICPC maintained that the funds in question were part of public monies belonging to KANSIEC and that their alleged diversion amounted to money laundering and abuse of office.
According to the charge, the alleged offences are contrary to Sections 2(1)(b) and 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
When the charges were read to them in court, all the defendants pleaded not guilty.
Following their plea, counsel to the defendants, Mr. Mahmud Magaji, SAN, made an oral application for bail, urging the court to grant his clients bail pending the determination of the case.
Magaji told the court that the defendants had earlier been granted administrative bail by the ICPC and had never violated any of the terms attached to it.
“My lord, the defendants have never violated any of the terms of the administrative bail,” the senior advocate told the court.
He also informed the court that he was newly briefed to handle the matter and appealed to the judge to exercise his discretion in favour of the defendants.
However, the prosecution counsel, Dr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the oral bail application, insisting that a formal bail application should be filed and served on the prosecution to enable a proper response.
Although he noted that he opposed the release of the defendants on bail, Akponimisingha told the court that he would ultimately leave the decision to the discretion of the judge.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotosho declined to entertain the oral bail application and directed the defendants to file a formal bail application to which the prosecution would respond.
The judge thereafter adjourned the matter till Wednesday for further proceedings.
Pending the hearing and determination of the bail application, Justice Omotosho ordered that Prof. Malumfashi and the other defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.