The Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, has been charged with money laundering and conspiracy by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alongside two top officials of the commission.
In a statement issued by the ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare revealed that the trio—Professor Malumfashi, KANSIEC Secretary Anas Muhammed Mustapha, and Deputy Director of Accounts Ado Garba—allegedly moved N1.02 billion from the Commission’s Unity Bank account to a private firm, SLM Agro Global Farm, which had no contractual ties with KANSIEC.
The alleged illegal transactions took place between November and December 2024. The defendants reportedly claimed the funds were intended to be used for paying ad hoc staff who participated in local government elections. They also claimed the money was later returned in cash by the recipient company.
However, ICPC investigations refuted this explanation, describing it as a cover-up. According to the anti-corruption agency, the officials had already arranged bank transfers for election staff, making their justification for cash-based payments “false and misleading.”
The Commission also uncovered inconsistencies in KANSIEC’s electoral budget. Although N20 million was earmarked for a screening team to travel across all 44 local government areas and 484 wards, the entire exercise was instead conducted at the Commission’s headquarters in Kano. ICPC said candidates bore their own transportation costs, contradicting claims by the accused that the full budget was disbursed.
The case is scheduled to be heard at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, with the ICPC affirming its commitment to ensuring accountability in public office.
