The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai for alleged severance pay corruption and years-long fraudulent dollar-denominated cash deposits in his bank account.
The commission arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on 10 charges, accusing him of violating Nigeria’s anti-money laundering law.
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He and his co-defendant, Joel Adoga, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendants’ pleas of not-guilty, the trial judge, Ridwan Aikawa, ordered their remand in the custody of ICPC, where Mr El-Rufai had been held for over one month.
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The charges involve alleged inflated N579.7 severance pays and years-long fraudulent deposits totalling $817,900 Mr El-Rufai allegedly received.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them during the arraignment which took place amid tight security on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES already broke down the charges here.
But here are all the 10 charges below.
Court: Federal High Court of Nigeria, Kaduna Judicial Division
Charge number:t FHC/KD/73C/2026
Filed on 18 March 2026
Prosecution: Federal Republic of Nigeria (ICPC)
Defendants: Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai (M) and Joel Adoga (M)
COUNT 1
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in September 2020 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of N289,826,998.12 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira, Twelve Kobo) as severance allowance over and above your legitimately entitled sum of N20,013,245.00 (Twenty Million, Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Five Naira) which represents 300% of your annual basic salary which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2}(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition} Act, 2022.
COUNT 2
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M), sometime in January 2023 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of N289,826,998.12 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira, Twelve Kobo) as severance allowance over and above your legitimately entitled sum of N20,013,245.00 (Twenty Million, Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Five Naira) which represents 300% of your annual basic salary which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2}(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
COUNT 3
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime between September 2017 and March 2023 or thereabout at Kaduna and Abuja respectively, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took control of the total sum of $320,800 (Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Eight Hundred Dollars) deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 in different tranches by one Joel Adoga, when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2}(d) and punishable under Section 18{3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 4
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in May 2022 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $155,800 (One Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Dollars) deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 by one Peter Akagu Jones (now at large), when you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2}(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 5
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in May 2022 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $305,300 (Three Hundred and Five Thousand, Three Hundred Dollars) deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank (domiciliary) account number: 0023824985 by one Ajayi Ayodele (now at large), when you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3)of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 6
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in April, 2016 or thereabout at Asokoro, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $5,000.00 (Seven Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Farouq (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2}{d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 7
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in June 2016 or thereabout at Asokoro, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $5,000.00 (Five Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Saleh (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed and offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 8
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in December 2016 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State. directly took possession of the sum of $4,000.00 (Four Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Farouk Saleh (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 9
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in October 2017 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank (domiciliary) account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Farouq (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. 2022.
COUNT 10
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M), JOEL ADOGA (M) sometime in July 2019 or thereabout at Wuse, Abuja within the – jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire to disguise the origin of $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Dollars) which sum was deposited into the Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 belonging to Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, when you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 21 and 18(2){a}) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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