The legal troubles of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, deepened on Thursday as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him and six others over an alleged N8.68 billion CCTV contract fraud.

El-Rufai was arraigned before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court in Kaduna alongside his former Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor, Jimi Lawal, and five corporate entities on an amended 11-count charge bordering on corruption, money laundering, and related offences.

According to the anti-graft agency, the charges stem from the controversial award of a multi-billion-naira contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design, and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis.

The ICPC alleged that while serving as governor, El-Rufai approved the N8.68 billion contract in favour of Singularity Network Security Limited, a company the Commission claimed lacked the technical competence, experience, and qualifications required to execute such a high-value security project.

Investigators further alleged that proceeds from the contract were subsequently moved through multiple companies and individuals in what prosecutors described as suspicious financial transactions.

Among the companies named in the charge are Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

The Commission also named Bashir El-Rufai—identified as an elder brother of the former governor and currently at large—in one of the counts.

According to court filings, the defendants allegedly received and transferred funds exceeding N2 billion between 2017 and 2022, sums the Commission said were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Prosecutors argued that the alleged transactions violated provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

One of the counts specifically accused El-Rufai of knowingly aiding corruption by approving the CCTV contract in breach of procurement regulations despite alleged awareness that the beneficiary company lacked the necessary capacity to execute the project.

When the charges were read in court, both El-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty.

Following their plea, the defence applied for bail, while the prosecution urged the court to consider the gravity of the allegations and the broader public interest surrounding the case.

Justice Buhari subsequently adjourned proceedings to July 1, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications.

The latest prosecution adds to El-Rufai’s mounting legal challenges. The former governor is already facing separate proceedings involving allegations linked to the interception of communications reportedly connected to the office of the National Security Adviser.

Political observers say the case could become one of the most closely watched anti-corruption trials in recent months, not only because of El-Rufai’s political stature but also due to the implications for public procurement accountability and the management of security-related contracts in Nigeria.

As proceedings continue, attention will remain fixed on whether the prosecution can substantiate claims that billions meant for public security infrastructure were diverted through a web of questionable transactions