El-Rufai, Six Others Arraigned By ICPC Over Alleged ₦8.6bn CCTV Contract Scam

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and six other defendants have been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption, money laundering and related offences linked to the award of a multi-billion naira surveillance contract.

The defendants appeared before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court in Kaduna on an amended 11-count charge filed by the anti-graft agency. Also named in the case are former government aide Jimi Lawal, as well as Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

According to court documents, the ICPC alleged that El-Rufai unlawfully approved the award of a contract valued at over ₦8.6 billion for the procurement, planning, design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis. The commission claimed that the contract was awarded in violation of public procurement regulations to a company that allegedly lacked the required qualifications and experience to execute the project.

The anti-corruption agency further alleged that the defendants knowingly received and controlled funds exceeding ₦2 billion through a series of transactions involving the companies named in the suit between 2017 and 2022.

At the hearing, El-Rufai and Lawal entered not guilty pleas to the charges brought against them. The commission also disclosed that Bashir El-Rufai, identified as an elder brother of the former governor, was mentioned in one of the counts and is currently being sought in connection with the matter.

Following the arraignment, the court adjourned proceedings until July 1, 2026, when it is expected to rule on pending bail applications.

The latest case adds to a series of legal challenges facing the former Kaduna governor. Reports indicate that he is currently defending multiple charges filed by both the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) in separate courts.

The ICPC had previously instituted other corruption and money laundering cases against him before the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court. Meanwhile, the DSS is prosecuting him over allegations relating to the unlawful interception of telephone conversations reportedly connected to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

In earlier proceedings, different courts delivered varying rulings on his bail requests. While the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him bail on stringent conditions, a Kaduna State High Court rejected a separate application. He was, however, granted bail in another matter before the Federal High Court in Abuja.