The former Chief of Staff to a previous governor of Kaduna State has been remanded to a custodial center as the Kaduna State High Court postponed the hearing of his bail request until Thursday. The individual, who also held the position of Commissioner for Finance in the same administration, is facing charges related to alleged money laundering, embezzlement, and theft.
During the court session on Tuesday, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the 10 charges brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. The charges included accusations of selling $45 million of the state government’s funds at a lower rate than the market value, resulting in a substantial loss to the government.
The prosecution claimed that the defendant laundered the funds in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. The defendant’s counsel requested bail, citing the time spent in custody since the arrest. However, the prosecution opposed the bail application, stating the need for time to respond as per legal requirements.
After a brief recess, the judge granted the prosecution additional time to respond to the bail application and adjourned the case for a later date to hear the bail request.