The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Directorate, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, arraigned Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of money laundering and vote buying.
The defendants are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and cash transactions exceeding the limit permitted by law, involving the sum of N26 million.
One of the counts alleged that Dawaki procured Fatange to accept cash payment of N26 million without passing it through a financial institution, a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Another count accused Fatange of directly accepting the N26 million cash from Dawaki, also in breach of the same Act.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecution counsel, M.O. Arumemi, thereafter requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the accused persons in a correctional centre.
Defence lawyers, E.N. Ogbu and A.A. Ashat, did not oppose the application but sought bail for their clients, asking that they be temporarily held in the EFCC’s facility pending the hearing of their bail applications.
Justice Nwite ordered the remand of Dawaki at the Suleja Correctional Centre and Fatange at the Kuje Correctional Centre, and adjourned the matter until September 15, 2025 for the hearing of the bail applications.
According to the EFCC, the duo were arrested on August 16, 2025, after investigators discovered N26,463,000 concealed in a Toyota Corolla belonging to Fatange at a hotel in Kaduna.
Fatange, who 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, allegedly intended to use the funds for vote buying during the poll held the same day.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the arraignment in a statement issued on Wednesday, stressing that the case reflects the Commission’s determination to clamp down on electoral fraud and illicit financial practices.
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