A Kaduna State High Court has again refused to grant bail to Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, ordering that he remain in the Correctional Facility pending further proceedings.
Sa’idu faces a 10-count charge involving alleged money laundering, embezzlement, and stealing.
The prosecution accused him of selling $45 million in hard currency belonging to the Kaduna State Government at an undervalued rate of N410 per dollar, rather than the parallel market rate of N498 per dollar. This alleged transaction resulted in a loss of N3.96 billion to the state government.
The alleged offences were said to have taken place in 2022 when Sa’idu was serving as Commissioner of Finance under the El-Rufai administration. According to the prosecution, the laundered amount violated Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During the court session on Tuesday, presided over by Justice Isa Aliyu, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal counsel, M. I. Abubakar, filed a bail application, arguing that his client had been in detention since January 2, 2025, and needed adequate time and resources to prepare his defense.
However, the prosecution, led by Professor Nasiru Aliyu, opposed the bail request, emphasizing that the law grants the prosecution seven days to respond. After a 40-minute recess, Justice Aliyu ruled in favor of the prosecution, stating that due process must be followed.
The court adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for the hearing of the bail application, prolonging Sa’idu’s stay in detention. The trial is expected to reveal more details about the allegations and determine his legal fate.