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The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, granted bail to Sani Malumfashi, a professor and chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), and his co-defendants, who are facing charges of fraudulently taking N1 billion between November and December 2024.
Trial judge James Omotosho granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200 million bail each and two sureties in like sum.
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Ruling on their bail application moved by their counsel, Okechukwu Edeze, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the judge held that the offence with which the defendants are charged were bailable.
Mr Omotosho observed that the defendants are being prosecuted on bailable offences of money laundering and not capital offence.
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“It is based on this, that this court is inclined to grant the bail application,” he said.
The judge also said he considered the fact that the prosecution lawyer from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Osuobeni Akponimisingha, did not oppose the bail application.
The judge, therefore, granted them bail in the sum of N200 million each with two sureties in like sum.
He said that each of the sureties shall be owner of property with minimum value of N100 million within the Federal Capital Territory and shall swear to affidavit of means.
He said the sureties shall show evidence of tax payment in the past three years and that the sureties and the defendants shall submit their recent passport photographs and certified true copies of their bank statements.
Mr Omotosho also ordered the defendants to submit their passports, if available, to the registrar of the court and that the registrar should verify all the documents and issue a report accordingly.
The judge, who adjourned the matter until 4 March for commencement of trial, said the defendants shall remain in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Malumfashi’s co-defendants are the Secretary of KANSIEC, Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Ado Garba, a Deputy Director, Account Department of the state electoral body.
The charges filed by the ICPC on 1 December 2025 accused the defendants of siphoning the sums of N450 million, N310 million and N260 million between November and December 2024.
Count one also alleged between November and December 2024 in Kano, Messrs Malumfashi, Mustapha and Garba, conspired to take possession ofN450 million cash through SLM Agro Global Farm Account Nos. 0018222634 and 0015932143 with Jaiz Bank on 1 November 2024.
The prosecution said the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity.
It added that 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.
After the six counts were read to them on Tuesday, the defendants pleaded not guilty.
NAN reports that the defendants were initially billed for arraignment before another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Joyce Abdulmalik, in 2025, but the case was struck out due to ICPC’s failure to effect service of court documents on the defendants.
(NAN)
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