The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formally charged Muhammad Sa’idu, a former commissioner under the administration of ex-Governor Nasir el-Rufai, with money laundering.
Sa’idu, who held multiple key positions including commissioner of local government affairs, chief of staff, and commissioner of finance during el-Rufai’s tenure, was arrested by the Kaduna Police Command following a petition over the alleged diversion of public funds.
On Tuesday, the ICPC’s assistant legal officer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, filed the charges against Sa’idu at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
The commission had previously dismissed claims that Sa’idu had been exonerated after a 10-month investigation. Sa’idu is now facing charges alongside Ibrahim Muktar, a staff member in the Ministry of Finance.
The charges, under suit number FHC/KD/IC/2025, include two counts of money laundering. The ICPC accuses Sa’idu of accepting an unlawful cash payment of N155 million in March 2022, a sum exceeding the amount permitted by law. According to the charge sheet, Sa’idu received the cash through a proxy, Muazu Abdu, his Special Assistant, and is alleged to have committed an offense in contravention of Section 2(a) and punishable under Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In addition, the ICPC alleges that Sa’idu indirectly took control of the N155 million, which had been transferred to Abdu by Muktar on Sa’idu’s behalf, and should have reasonably known that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities, including corruption. This also constitutes a violation of Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, with penalties outlined under Section 18(3), which includes a prison sentence ranging from four to fourteen years, a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds, or both.
The charges mark a significant development in the ongoing anti-corruption efforts in the country.
