ICPC Files Five-Count Charge Against Jimi Lawal Over Alleged Public Funds Misuse

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a five-count charge of embezzlement against Jimi Lawal, a former senior aide to Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State.

The charges, under case number FCH/KD/16c/2025, were officially filed on January 15 at the Federal High Court in Kaduna by Dr. Osuobeni Ekpi Akponimishingha, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of the ICPC.

Jimi Lawal, who previously held the position of Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor to El-Rufai, faces multiple charges alongside Umar Waziri, Yusuf Inuwa, and Solar Life Nigeria Limited. The charges stem from alleged illicit financial activities that occurred in 2018, including the diversion of millions of naira from the Kaduna State government’s accounts.

According to the ICPC, Lawal is accused of diverting N10,000,000 from the state’s Accountant-General Operational Account in 2018. The sum was allegedly transferred into the account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which Lawal was the sole signatory. The commission claims Lawal should have known that these funds were proceeds of corruption, an action that allegedly violated the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.

In a second charge, Lawal is accused of improperly taking N47,840,000 from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance’s bank account in July 2018. Furthermore, in September 2018, Lawal allegedly transferred N7,320,562 from the state’s Internally Generated Revenue account into another account belonging to Solar Life Nigeria Limited. The ICPC asserts that the former governor’s aide knew these funds were part of a corrupt scheme, further violating the anti-money laundering laws.

Another charge against Lawal involves making false statements during an investigation in October 2024. Lawal allegedly misrepresented that a total of N64,800,562, which had been transferred in three separate payments, was used for travel expenses, specifically estacode payments for individuals named Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko. The ICPC claims that Lawal knowingly made false statements to obstruct justice.

These charges reflect the ongoing efforts of the ICPC to hold public officers accountable for corruption and financial misconduct.