The Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to tomorrow, Thursday.
Sa’idu, who is also the former Commissioner for Finance in the el-Rufai administration, has been remanded in custody. He faces 10 charges related to alleged money laundering, embezzlement and theft.
The charges, brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accuse Sa’idu of selling $45 million in state funds at an undervalued rate, resulting in a loss of ₦3.96 billion to the Kaduna State Government.
During yesterday’s court session, Sa’idu pleaded not guilty to all charges. His counsel, M.I. Abubakar, requested bail, noting that Sa’idu had been in custody since January 2, 2025. However, the prosecution, led by Prof. Nasiru Aliyu, objected, citing the statutory seven-day period for filing a response.
Subsequently, Justice Isa Aliyu granted the prosecution time to file its response and set the next hearing for tomorrow, Thursday, January 23, 2025.
