By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Kaduna State High Court has once again refused to grant bail to the former Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu.
The court has ordered that he be returned to custody after being charged with 10 counts of alleged corruption, embezzlement, and theft during the administration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
When the case was resumed before Justice Isa Aliyu on Tuesday, the 10 charges were read to the defendant, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Among the charges, Sa’idu is accused of selling $45 million of the Kaduna State government’s funds—equivalent to N18.45 billion—at a rate of N498 per dollar, which allegedly resulted in a loss of N3.96 billion to the state government.
According to the prosecution, the offense occurred in 2022 when Sa’idu was serving as the Commissioner for Finance in El-Rufai’s government.
The prosecutors further stated that Sa’idu is accused of embezzling N3.96 billion, which violates Section 18 of the 2022 Anti-Corruption Act.
The defendant’s lawyer, M.I. Abubakar, informed the court that there was a need for bail to be granted to his client, as he had already spent 21 days in custody since his arrest on January 2, 2025.
He also informed the court that a bail application had been filed on January 16, 2025, adding that granting bail would allow Sa’idu to properly prepare his defense against the charges.
However, the prosecution’s counsel, Professor Nasiru Aliyu, objected to the bail request, stating that the law allows the prosecution seven days to respond to the bail application.
After a 40-minute recess, Justice Isa Aliyu ruled that the prosecution should be given sufficient time as provided by the law to respond to the bail request.
The court has adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for further consideration of the bail application.