ICPC Arraigns El-Rufai, Six Others Over Alleged ₦8.68bn CCTV Contract Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dragged former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, before the Federal High Court in Kaduna over an alleged ₦8.68 billion fraud linked to a CCTV surveillance contract.

El-Rufai was arraigned alongside his former Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor, Mr. Jimi Adebisi Lawal, and five companies over allegations bordering on corruption, money laundering, and financial misconduct.

The case, filed under charge number FHC/KD/93C/2026, was brought before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court, Kaduna.

Other defendants listed in the amended 11-count charge include Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

ICPC also mentioned Bashir El-Rufai, identified as an elder brother of the former governor, in one of the counts. He is currently said to be at large.

According to the anti-graft agency, the charges stem from the award of a contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design, and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis.

The Commission alleged that El-Rufai, while serving as governor, approved the contract worth ₦8,682,574,054.94 in favour of Singularity Network Security Limited, despite the company allegedly lacking the required technical capacity and experience to execute such a project.

ICPC claimed the contract approval violated public procurement laws and was carried out unlawfully.

Investigators further alleged that funds linked to the contract were later moved through several companies and individuals in transactions spanning multiple years.

The Commission said its findings revealed that over ₦2 billion, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, passed through different channels involving the companies named in the charge between 2017 and 2022.

The anti-corruption agency argued that these financial movements were designed to conceal the origin of the funds.

Count one of the amended charge reads:

‘’That you, MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in December, 2015 or thereabout at Kaduna, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna State aided an act of corruption, when you approved the award of contract for the procurement of survey planning, final design and installation of CCTV at Kaduna metropolis in the reviewed sum of N8,682,574,054.94 (Eight Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, Fifty-Four Naira, Ninety-Four Kobo) to Messrs. Singularity Network Security Limited, a company with no requisite experience and in violation of procurement laws, which act you knew was unlawful and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act, 2022.’’

During proceedings, both El-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

Their legal team subsequently urged the court to grant bail pending trial.

Following arguments from both sides, Justice Buhari adjourned the matter to July 1, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications.