By Jemilu Hassan
A former Commissioner of Finance and Local Government in Kaduna State, Mohammed Bashir Sa’idu, has been arrested by the police over allegations of money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds ¹. The allegations against Sa’idu are severe, with accusations of laundering N3.96 billion and misappropriating N244 million during his tenure in the Mallam Nasir el-Rufai-led administration between 2015 and 2023.
The allegations include the sale of $45 million in state-owned foreign currency at an undervalued exchange rate of N410 per dollar, instead of the parallel market rate of N498 per dollar, causing a loss of over N3.96 billion to the government ¹. This transaction allegedly breached Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Furthermore, Sa’idu is accused of failing to account for proceeds from the sale of government houses in Marafa Estate, Kaduna, amounting to approximately N244 million ¹. This constitutes a breach of trust under Section 300 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly had previously investigated Sa’idu’s financial dealings and forwarded its findings to anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) ¹. As part of the investigation, Sa’idu’s international passport has been seized.
Critics have attempted to attribute the arrest as politically motivated, claiming it was orchestrated through Operation Fushin Kada, a unit established to combat banditry ². However, the Kaduna State Police Command dismissed these claims, emphasizing that Sa’idu’s arrest followed credible allegations of financial crimes.
Sa’idu, who served in various capacities in Kaduna State, including as Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Finance, remains in detention as investigations continue ¹. Authorities have assured the public that due process will be followed in bringing the suspect to justice.
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