The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will on Monday, July 21, 2025, arraign the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, and two others over an alleged N1.02 billion money laundering case.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will on Monday, July 21, 2025, arraign the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, and two others over an alleged N1.02 billion money laundering case.
Also to be arraigned alongside Malumfashi at the Federal High Court, Abuja, are the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Deputy Director of Accounts, Mr. Ado Garba.
In a statement issued on Friday, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said the defendants allegedly conspired between November and December 2024 to carry out large-scale illegal cash transactions in breach of financial regulations and anti-money laundering laws.
The Commission said its investigation uncovered that the sum of N1,020,000,000 was transferred by KANSIEC from its Unity Bank account to an entity, SLM Agro Global Farm, which had no known contractual relationship with the electoral body.
While the accused persons claimed the transfers were made to enable KANSIEC raise cash for paying ad hoc electoral staff during the local government elections, ICPC said evidence obtained during investigation contradicted this claim.
According to the Commission, the defendants had also previously written to Unity Bank requesting the payment of N59.4 million directly into the bank accounts of 468 Electoral Officers and 42 Assistant Electoral Officers. The payment was successfully processed through the banking system, disproving the defendants’ assertion that direct cash withdrawals were necessary.
“Their claim that the banking system or transfers would have been too slow was found to be a mere conjecture, a screen to hide corruption and a lame excuse to justify the offence of money laundering,” the statement said.
Further investigations revealed that although N20 million was budgeted for the screening and verification of candidates across 484 wards and 44 local governments, the exercise was held entirely in Kano. The candidates reportedly travelled at their own cost to the KANSIEC office in Kano, contradicting claims by the defendants that the amount was spent on field operations.
“The third defendant admitted in his statement that the entire N20 million was handed out in cash to KANSIEC members, despite the team not travelling outside Kano,” the Commission said.
The defendants are expected to take their pleas on Monday before the court.