A Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday, January 21, denied bail to Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ordered his continued remand in a correctional facility. Sa’idu faces 10 charges, including allegations of money laundering, embezzlement, and stealing.
During the court session presided over by Justice Isa Aliyu, Sa’idu pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him. Among the allegations, the prosecution claimed that in 2022, while serving as Commissioner of Finance, Sa’idu sold $45 million belonging to the Kaduna State Government at an undervalued exchange rate of ₦410 per dollar instead of the parallel market rate of ₦498 per dollar. This action allegedly caused a loss of ₦3.96 billion to the state government, which was then laundered in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Sa’idu’s counsel, M.I. Abubakar, urged the court to grant his client bail, arguing that Sa’idu had already spent 21 days in custody since his arrest on January 2, 2025. He emphasized that bail would enable Sa’idu to adequately prepare his defense against the charges.
However, the prosecution, represented by Professor Nasiru Aliyu, objected to the bail application, noting that the law grants the prosecution seven days to file a response to such applications.
After a 40-minute recess, Justice Aliyu ruled in favor of allowing the prosecution the legally allotted time to file its response. The court adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for a hearing on the bail application.