The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has concluded plans to arraign the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof Sani Lawal Malumfashi, over an alleged N1.02 billion money laundering scheme.
Also slated for arraignment are KANSIEC Secretary, Anas Mustapha, and Ado Garba, a Deputy Director in the commission’s Accounts Department.
The trio will be docked at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 21, 2025.
A statement issued on Friday by the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said investigations uncovered that the accused officials conspired to carry out a large-scale illegal cash transaction in violation of Nigeria’s financial regulations and anti-corruption laws.
According to the anti-graft agency, between November and December 2024, Malumfashi and his co-defendants allegedly transferred N1.02 billion from KANSIEC’s Unity Bank account to a private company, SLM Agro Global Farm, which has no contractual relationship with the electoral body.
The embattled officials reportedly claimed that the money was moved to SLM Agro to raise cash for the payment of ad hoc staff who participated in the state’s local government elections.
They also insisted that the company returned the full amount in cash to the commission.
But ICPC described the explanation as a cover-up, stating that the evidence contradicted the narrative.
“ICPC further revealed that the defendants, in the statements they volunteered, argued that the transfers made to SLM Agro Global were made with the intention to raise cash needed to pay the ad hoc staff that participated in the local government election in the state, and that the firm returned all such transfers to KANSIEC in cash,” the statement read.
“Investigation, however, revealed otherwise as a letter from the defendant addressed to the Manager, Unity Bank, Zoo Road, Kano, detailed wherein they requested transfer payment of the sum of N59,400,000.00 attached with a cheque of same amount and a list of 468 Electoral Officers and 42 Assistant Electoral Officers’ bank details for payment through the banking system.”
ICPC noted that the request was honoured by the bank, and that all the listed beneficiaries received their payments through regular banking channels.
The agency dismissed the defendants’ claim that they avoided bank transfers because the process would have been too slow, branding the excuse “a lame cover for corruption.”
“That claim was found to be mere conjecture, a screen to hide corruption and a lame excuse to justify the offence of money laundering,” ICPC stated.
The anti-graft agency also raised questions over the use of N20 million purportedly earmarked for a verification team tasked with screening candidates across Kano’s 44 local government areas and 484 wards.
ICPC said the money was unjustified as the entire verification exercise was conducted at the KANSIEC headquarters in Kano, with candidates forced to appear at their own expense — contradicting the stated purpose of the funds.