Jimi Lawal, a former Special Adviser to Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has been placed on a watch-list by the Department of State Service (DSS) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
This action follows an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into allegations of criminal conspiracy and improper loans related to a fraudulent Light Rail Project valued at ₦11 billion.
The ICPC's probe revealed that Lawal had obtained loans without due process and discovered ₦144 million in his bank account, deposited from four private companies.
The commission also summoned Lawal for questioning, but he failed to appear, prompting the ICPC to request the DSS and NIS to place him on a watch-list at airports, seaports, and land borders.
A letter from the ICPC to the DSS and NIS stated: “The above-mentioned person (Lawal Shakiru Olujimi Adebisi), who hails from Ogun State and speaks Yoruba and English fluently, is being investigated for the offence of criminal conspiracy.
Credible information at the commission’s disposal suggests that the suspect, who is under investigation, is most likely to flee the country to evade being prosecuted. You are therefore, kindly requested to place him on the watch-list and arrest him if seen in any of the airports, seaports or land border and inform this commission accordingly.”
This investigation is part of a broader inquiry into the administration of Governor El-Rufai.
The Kaduna House of Assembly’s ad-Hoc Committee previously alleged that ₦423 billion was siphoned from the state government’s coffers between 2015 and 2023, and $1.4 million was withdrawn from the Kaduna State Economic Transformation Account.
Governor El-Rufai has denied all allegations, claiming he was not given a fair hearing by the House of Assembly.
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