The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, arraigned two individuals, Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange, before Emeka Nwite, Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged involvement in money laundering and vote-buying activities tied to the August 16 bye-election in Kaduna State.
The defendants were charged by the anti-graft agency on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and acceptance of cash payments exceeding the threshold permitted by law, to the tune of N26 million.
According to the EFCC, Dawaki and Fatange were found in possession of N26,463,000, suspected to have been earmarked for vote-buying during the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election in Kaduna.
The cash was reportedly stashed in a Toyota Corolla (2010 model) belonging to Fatnge and parked within a hotel premises in Kaduna.
One of the charges against them reads:
“That you, Esther Ashivilli Dawaki (F) and others now at large, on or about 16th of August, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did procure one Shehu Aliyu Fatange (M) to commit an offence to wit: accepting cash payment of the sum of N26,000,000.00 (Twenty-six Million Naira only), without going through a financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by the law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(C)(a) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
The Commission added that both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Prosecuting counsel, M. O. Arumemi, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in custody.
Defence counsel, E. N. Ogbu and A. A. Ashat, did not oppose the prosecution’s request but sought bail for their clients and asked that they be remanded in EFCC’s holding facility pending the court’s decision.
Nwite subsequently ordered Dawaki to be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre and Fatange at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The judge adjourned the case until Monday, September 15, 2025, for the hearing of the bail applications.
EFCC’s investigations revealed that Fatange, at the time of his arrest, identified himself as the Director-General of the campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election held on August 16.
The EFCC maintained that the seized funds were strongly suspected to have been set aside for vote-buying.
