By Suleiman Anyalewechi
All appear set for the prosecution of some officials of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission KASIEC, for alleged N1.02 billion money laundering.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC, baring any last minute change of mind, will on Monday July 21, 2025, be arraigning KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Sani Malumfashi, the Secretary, Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Ado Garba ,the Deputy Director of Accounts, before an Abuja Federal High Court on charges bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office, and large scale illegal cash transactions, contrary to the country’s anti-corruption and money laundering laws.
According to the facts of the case, the KANSIEC officials are being accused of illegally transferring the said sum of N1.02 billion from the Commission’s Unity Bank account to the account of a private firm- SLM Agro Global Farm in November 2024.
The anti-graft agency contended that as at the time of the illegal and suspicious transfer, SLM Agro Global Farm as a business outfit, was not having any contractual agreements with the electoral body to warrant such a haughty transaction.
According to the ICPC, the KANSIEC officials had, in their preliminary defence during investigations, claimed that the transaction was aimed at raising cash to pay adhoc field workers, and to also avoid the encumbrances of bank payments, which could affect its operations during the local council polls.
However, the anti-graft Commission argued that the reason adduced by KASIEC does not, in any way, align with the facts on the ground.
The ICPC stated that the said fund was returned in cash to the electoral body, thereby circumventing all due financial procedures.
The Agency cited a particular case in which the electoral Commission in a letter to the Unity Bank requested N59.4 million payment to about 468 Electoral officers, and 42 Assistant Electoral Officers through standard and approved bank transfers.
The Bank, according to the ICPC, did not only honour the request, but did so promptly, a development which it said contradicts the Electoral body’s claim that bank payments tended to delay it’s operations.
“The explanation that bank transfers would have delayed payments was nothing more than a cover to mask illicit financial activities.
It was a calculated attempt to justify money laundering”, the ICPC’ argued.
Furthermore, the anti-graft Commission questioned KANSIEC claims that the sum of N20 million was used in paying some field officers who conducted the screening exercises of candidates across the 44 local councils of the State.
According to the case file, the ICPC stated that it’s findings revealed that the screening exercise was carried out at the KANSIEC Head Office in Kano for allcandidates, with no exercise taking place at the Local Government level as claimed by the Electoral Commission’s officials.
The anti-graft agency averred that despite the fact that there were no screenings outside the Headquarters of the Commission, the third defendant, Garba. the Deputy Director of Accounts, still claimed that N20 million was paid out in cash to screening officers in the 44 local Councils and 484 Wards of the State.
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