Former Special Adviser to ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal, has been released from prison after successfully meeting his bail conditions.
Lawal, along with former Kaduna State Accountant-General Umar Waziri and ex-Finance Commissioner Yusuf Inuwa, was previously arraigned on charges of allegedly diverting ₦68 million in state funds.
The three, alongside Solar Life Nigeria Limited—a company allegedly used to launder the funds—were prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
According to the ICPC, Lawal allegedly facilitated the transfer of ₦64.8 million in three separate installments—₦10 million, ₦47.8 million, and ₦7.3 million—into the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, a company for which he is reportedly the sole signatory.
Details of the Bail Conditions
On January 21, 2025, the court granted bail to the defendants under the following stringent conditions:
Each defendant must provide two sureties with ₦50 million in like sum.
The sureties must be owners of landed property in Kaduna, with verifiable Certificates of Occupancy.
All defendants are required to surrender their international, national, and official passports to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Justice Aikawa, who presided over the case, granted bail and authorized another judge to sign the release order before traveling for an official engagement. However, despite the defendants meeting their bail conditions, the designated judge allegedly refused to sign the release order, causing unexpected delays.
Upon Justice Aikawa’s return on Thursday, he personally signed the necessary documents, ensuring that Jimi Lawal could finally regain his freedom after several days of delay.