KANSIEC Chairman, Officials Charged with N1.02bn Money Laundering by ICPC

Kano, Nigeria – The Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on charges of money laundering and conspiracy. Two other top officials of the commission are also facing prosecution in what investigators describe as a case of financial malfeasance involving public funds.

Details of the Alleged Fraud

According to a statement released by ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare, the accused—Professor Malumfashi, KANSIEC Secretary Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Deputy Director of Accounts Ado Garba—allegedly diverted a staggering N1.02 billion from the Commission’s Unity Bank account. The funds were reportedly transferred to a private company, SLM Agro Global Farm, which had no official business relationship with KANSIEC.

Questionable Transactions and Contradictory Claims

The illicit transfers allegedly occurred between November and December 2024. The defendants initially claimed the funds were meant to compensate ad hoc staff involved in local government elections. They further asserted that the money was later returned in cash by the recipient company.

However, ICPC investigators dismissed these explanations as a deliberate cover-up. The anti-graft agency revealed that the commission had already processed bank transfers for election staff payments, rendering the cash-based justification “false and misleading.”

Budget Discrepancies Uncovered

Further investigations exposed inconsistencies in KANSIEC’s electoral budget allocation. While N20 million had been approved for a screening team to travel across Kano’s 44 local government areas and 484 wards, the entire exercise was instead conducted at the Commission’s headquarters in Kano city.

ICPC findings showed that election candidates actually bore their own transportation costs, directly contradicting the defendants’ claims that the full budget had been disbursed for logistical purposes.

Legal Proceedings and Anti-Corruption Stance

The case is scheduled for hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday. The ICPC has reiterated its commitment to prosecuting corruption cases and ensuring accountability among public office holders.

This development comes amid growing public scrutiny of electoral bodies across Nigeria, with calls for greater transparency in the management of election-related funds.

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