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• July 29, 2025
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ICPC commences prosecution of former El-Rufai aide, Lawal in Kaduna

The trial of Mr. Olajimi Shakiru Adebisi Lawal and three others commenced on Monday, July 21, 2025, before Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, in a case filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC). Lawal served as aide to the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir
ICPC commences prosecution of former El-Rufai aide, Lawal in Kaduna

The trial of Mr. Olajimi Shakiru Adebisi Lawal and three others commenced on Monday, July 21, 2025, before Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, in a case filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC).

Lawal served as aide to the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The defendants are facing charges in connection with alleged fraudulent estacode payments and abuse of public office during their time in government service.

At the start of proceedings, the prosecution produced three witnesses: Mrs Aisha Dikko Kalil, Mrs Bariyatu Yusuf, and Mr Samuel Aruwan, who are all former senior officials of the Kaduna State Government, to aid its case.

While taking the stand, Kalil, who served as Attorney-General of Kaduna State (2019–2023), testified that all tuition fees for the foreign training she attended were paid directly by the state government to the respective institutions.

She, however, added that estacode allowances were paid into her personal Guaranty Trust Bank account.

The former Attorney-General confirmed receiving over ₦5 million in estacode payments and clarified she never received any such payment from the 1st Defendant, Lawal. Kalil further added that the tuition fee for courses attended totaled $9,100.

Supporting documents, including her account statement, approvals for foreign training, and certificates, were tendered in evidence.

In the same vein, the former Head of Service of Kaduna State, Mrs Bariyatu Yusuf, corroborated the process of foreign training sponsorship, stating that course fees and flight tickets were funded by the Ministry of Finance, while estacode payments were sent to her personal account.

She acknowledged receiving just under ₦15 million in estacodes and maintained that she never received any funds from Lawal even though she did not deny knowing him. Her certificates and account details were also tendered in court as evidence.

Meanwhile, the third witness, Aruwan, who served as the spokesperson and later Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, testified that his trainings were funded by the United States government and the Office of the National Security Adviser, not the Kaduna State Government.

He stated that although he was professionally acquainted with the 1st Defendant, he neither received estacode allowances from Lawal nor from the state government.

The ICPC prosecutor, Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akpos, subsequently sought to tender Aruwan’s written statement to ICPC.

However, the defense counsel objected, citing procedural concerns since the statement was obtained during the pendency of the trial.

Following arguments on the admissibility of the statement, the court adjourned the matter to September 24, 2025, for ruling and continuation of hearing.

The ICPC is prosecuting the case as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

ICPC commences prosecution of former El-Rufai aide, Lawal in Kaduna

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ICPC, NCAA to partner against corruption in aviation sector

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has pledged the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA in the fight against corruption, particularly in sector regulation and service delivery. Aliyu made this commitment during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NCAA,
ICPC, NCAA to partner against corruption in aviation sector

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has pledged the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA in the fight against corruption, particularly in sector regulation and service delivery.

Aliyu made this commitment during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NCAA, Captain Chris Ona Najomo, and his team to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

In his welcome remarks, the ICPC Chairman underscored the importance of collective effort, noting that “no agency can fight corruption alone,” and called for a multi-sectoral approach to addressing systemic corruption in the Aviation sector.

Aliyu proposed the establishment of a Joint Corruption Prevention Roundtable between both institutions as a proactive platform to exchange insights, develop anti-corruption strategies, and identify and mitigate corruption risks within the aviation industry.

Aliyu also suggested the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the partnership, emphasising that such collaboration could significantly strengthen institutional integrity and boost the confidence of foreign investors in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Responding, Captain Chris Ona Najomo stated that the visit was part of a broader move to deepen transparency, ethics, and accountability within the aviation industry.

The NCAA DG requested ICPC’s support in enhancing whistleblower protection, strengthening the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), and receiving technical input on its proposed Sector Code of Ethics for airlines, maintenance organizations, and training institutions.

He also highlighted the NCAA’s ongoing digital transformation efforts aimed at automating licensing, certification, and surveillance reporting to reduce human indiscretion and improve transparency.

The agency invited ICPC to review its internal processes and advise on ways to ensure mitigation of corruption risks as well as maximum compliance impact.

The DG reiterated the agency’s alignment with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2022–2026) and reaffirmed its commitment to integrating its five pillars; prevention, public engagement, ethical reorientation, enforcement, and asset recovery, into all operations and ACTU activities.

The event closed with both institution’s agreement that the collaboration would mark the beginning of a strategic partnership targeted at fostering institutional integrity, promotion of a corruption-free environment, and enhancement of Nigeria’s global reputation in aviation safety and governance.

ICPC, NCAA to partner against corruption in aviation sector