The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on Tuesday, ordered that Sani Malumfashi, chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, and two others be remanded in Kuje Prison custody over an alleged N1 billion money laundering offence.
Justice James Omotosho made the order after Mr Malumfashi and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge following their arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Mr Malumfashi and co-accused will be held in the correctional facility pending the hearing and determination of their formal bail application.
The judge adjourned the case until January 27 for the consideration of the defendants’ bail application.
Mr Malumfashi’s co-defendants are the secretary of KANSIEC, Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Ado Garba, a deputy director in the account department of the electoral body, who are listed as the second and third defendants, respectively.
In the charge dated November 28, 2025, and filed December 1, 2025, by ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the defendants were alleged to have syphoned the sums of N450 million, N310 million and N260 million between the months of November and December 2024.
The ICPC alleged that Messrs Malumfashi, Mustapha and Garba, between November and December 2024 in Kano, conspired to take possession of the sum of N450 million cash through SLM Agro Global Farm Account Nos. 0018222634 and 0015932143 with Jaiz Bank on November 1, 2024.
The money was said to form part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity.
The offence is contrary to Sections 2(1)(b) & 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022, among other counts.
When the case was called, Mr Akponimisingha asked the court to have the charge read to the defendants so they could take their plea, and the defence lawyer, Mahmud Magaji, did not object.
After the six counts were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecuting lawyer then applied for a trial date to present their witnesses.
Responding, Mr Magaji sought the court’s indulgence to move an oral bail application on behalf of his clients. According to the senior lawyer, they have been enjoying the administrative bail granted by the prosecution and have always complied with the bail conditions.
He, however, stated that, should the application not be granted, a short period should be given to file a formal bail request.
Mr Akponimisingha, who said he was a little bit constrained to oppose the bail application, said he would be leaving the argument to the discretion of the court.
The judge, therefore, held that the bail application must be formally filed since the court is a court of record and that the prosecution should be allowed to respond appropriately in the interest of a fair hearing.
The judge then adjourned the matter until January 28 for the bail application hearing.
The defendants were to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a sister court in 2025, but the case was struck out over the ICPC’s failure to effect service of court documents on the defendants.
(NAN)
