Abuja, Nigeria – The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the arraignment of the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi, alongside two other top officials, over an alleged ₦1.02 billion money laundering scheme.

Also scheduled to appear in court are the Secretary of KANSIEC, Anas Mustapha, and Ado Garba, a Deputy Director in the Accounts Department of the commission.

The trio will be docked before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 21, 2025, according to a statement issued on Friday by Demola Bakare, spokesperson for the ICPC.

Details of the Allegations

The anti-graft agency alleges that between November and December 2024, the accused officials conspired to illegally transfer ₦1.02 billion from KANSIEC’s Unity Bank account to SLM Agro Global Farm, a private company that has no contractual ties to the electoral commission.

The officials purportedly claimed that the funds were transferred to SLM Agro Global Farm to raise cash needed to pay ad hoc staff who worked during the state’s local government elections. They further asserted that the entire amount was returned in cash to the commission.

However, the ICPC dismissed this explanation as a “lame cover for corruption,” stating that evidence obtained during the investigation contradicted the claim.

“A letter from the defendant to the Manager of Unity Bank, Zoo Road, Kano, explicitly requested the transfer of ₦59.4 million, with an attached cheque and a comprehensive list of 468 Electoral Officers and 42 Assistant Electoral Officers’ bank details for payment through official banking channels,” the ICPC statement noted.

ICPC said the bank honoured this request, and all listed beneficiaries received payments through the normal banking system — undermining the accused officials’ narrative that cash was needed to speed up payments.

Additional Allegations

The ICPC also raised red flags over the use of ₦20 million allegedly allocated to a verification team for screening candidates across Kano's 44 local government areas and 484 wards.

“The verification was actually conducted at the KANSIEC headquarters in Kano, with candidates covering their own expenses, which contradicts the supposed purpose of the allocated funds,” the commission stated.

What’s Next

The arraignment is expected to shed more light on the alleged financial misconduct and test the robustness of Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts under the current administration.

The ICPC reiterated its commitment to pursuing justice and holding public officers accountable for any abuse of office and financial impropriety.