According to the ICPC, Jimi Lawal is accused of diverting public funds during his tenure as a public officer in Kaduna State in 2018.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a five-count charge of embezzlement against Jimi Lawal, a former Senior Special Adviser to the ex-Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and three others.
Dr. Osuobeni Ekpi Akponimishingha, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, filed the case, registered as FCH/KD/16c/2025 at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on January 15.
According to the ICPC, Jimi Lawal is accused of diverting public funds during his tenure as a public officer in Kaduna State in 2018.
Specifically, Lawal allegedly took control of N10 million from the Kaduna State Accountant-General Operational Account and deposited it into the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, where he was the sole signatory.
The ICPC stated that Lawal “ought to have known” that the funds were proceeds of corruption, a violation of Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which is punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
“Jimi Lawal ought to have known that the funds were part of the proceeds of corruption.
“By doing so, he allegedly committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” it further stated.
In another count, Lawal is accused of taking control of N47.84 million from the Kaduna State Ministry of Finance’s bank account in July 2018. Additionally, in September 2018, he allegedly diverted N7.32 million from the Kaduna State Internally Generated Revenue account into Solar Life Nigeria Limited’s account.
The ICPC alleged that “in September 2018, while serving as a public officer in Kaduna State as Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor to Governor El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal took control of N7,320,562 from the Kaduna State Internally Generated Revenue account”, adding that “the funds were said to have been domiciled in a bank account and later transferred to the another bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, an account for which he was the sole signatory”.
According to the ICPC, the former aide to the ex-governor “ought to have known the funds were proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption, which contravenes Section 18(2)(d) and is punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The agency alleged that in October 2024, during an investigation, Lawal provided false information to ICPC officials. He reportedly claimed that the total sum of N64.8 million—received in three tranches of N10 million, N47.84 million, and N7.32 million—was paid as estacode to two individuals, Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and Aisha Dikko.
It asserted that Lawal knew this statement was false, an offence under Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, punishable under Section 25(1)(b).
Lawal was detained and interrogated in August 2024 over allegations of a fraudulent light rail project valued at N11 billion. Reports indicate that there was no contract file for the project, yet the sum was allegedly paid in full.
The ICPC urged the Federal High Court in Kaduna to prosecute Lawal and his co-accused to the full extent of the law. If convicted, the accused face penalties as prescribed under the Money Laundering Act and Corrupt Practices Act.
Jimi Lawal, was in August grilled and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged phoney Light Rail Project valued at N11 billion.
It was learnt that there was no contract file for the implementation of the purported light rail but it was allegedly paid for in full.
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