EFCC Arraigns Two Over N26m Money Laundering, Vote Buying In Abuja

THE Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, arraigned Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on charges of money laundering and vote buying.

The defendants are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering and making cash payments above the legal threshold, involving the sum of N26 million.

One of the counts alleges that Dawaki procured Fatange to accept a cash payment of N26 million without passing it through a financial institution, in contravention of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Another charge accuses Fatange of directly accepting the same amount from Dawaki in breach of the Act.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel, M. O. Arumemi, requested a trial date and for the accused persons to be remanded in custody. Defence counsel, E. N. Ogbu and A. A. Ashat, made oral bail applications and asked that the defendants be temporarily held at EFCC facilities pending determination of their applications.

Justice Nwite ordered Dawaki to be remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre and Fatange at Kuje Correctional Centre, before adjourning the case to Monday, 15 September 2025, for the hearing of the bail applications.

According to the EFCC, the pair were arrested on 16 August 2025 after operatives, acting on credible intelligence, discovered N26.46 million hidden in a 2010 Toyota Corolla belonging to Fatange, which was parked at a hotel in Kaduna.

During interrogation, Fatange reportedly identified himself as the director-general of the campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election, held on the same day. The recovered cash is suspected to have been earmarked for vote buying during the poll.