On Friday, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) instituted fresh criminal proceedings against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and seven others over alleged fraud and money laundering linked to a ₦10.8 billion CCTV security project.

New Telegraph gathered that the Court documents filed before the Federal High Court on April 17 indicate that the anti-graft agency brought an 11-count charge under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

According to the filings, the commission accused El-Rufai of approving the award of a CCTV contract valued at ₦8.68 billion in December 2015 to a firm allegedly lacking the technical capacity to execute the project.

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The ICPC further alleged that substantial funds tied to the project were moved between 2017 and 2022 through various individuals and companies, including Singularity Network Security Limited and other entities connected to the transaction.

A former Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Tijjani Ramalan, disclosed in a social media post that El-Rufai and the other accused persons are expected to be arraigned soon.

Also named in the case are former state official Jimi Lawal, executives linked to IHS Towers, and five companies. Although one of El-Rufai’s sons, Bashir El-Rufai, was mentioned in the allegations, he is not listed among the defendants.

This development marks the third set of charges brought against the former governor by the ICPC since March.

El-Rufai is already facing separate cases relating to other Kaduna State projects, including a light rail contract and severance payments. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in previous court proceedings.

In addition to the ICPC’s actions, other security and anti-corruption agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are reportedly investigating or prosecuting related allegations involving the former governor.