Date Published: 10/20/10

EFCC files fresh charges against El-Rufai

 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has said that it has prepared fresh charges against former Minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The charges are to be filed at an FCT high court on Friday October 22.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a swift reaction to a ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja today discharging the former minister of the eight count charge earlier preferred against him by the EFCC, over the jurisdiction of the court.

The EFCC, had earlier  investigated a petition chronicling allegations of abuse of office against Mallam El-Rufai on how he allocated government lands to his friends, wives and family members, in flagrant breach of the Abuja master plan. 

According to the petition, the former minister, between 2003-2007, allocated ten plots of land in choice areas of Abuja and in various sizes to his family members, including his wife, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, who got two plots- one in the Asokoro district and the other in the Kubwa district. Other family members who were allegedly allocated plots are: 

1 Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, JG 20007, 3379 2394.29, A04 Asokoro 26/01/2005

2 Bashir A El-Rufai, KD 20068, 1381 1745.14, A07 Wuse II 26/01/2005

3 Asia Ahmad El-Rufai, KN 20043, 3376 2208.12, A04 Asokoro 26/01/2005

4 Ibrahim El-Rufai, KD 20174, 3677 1997.92, A06 Maitama 27/06/2005

5 Binta Ahmed El-Rufai, KN 20090, 871 1562.81, B04 Jabi 25/03/2006

6 Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, KD 21188, 1417 629.23, F01 Kubwa 03/07/2007

7 Tijani Ahmed Rufai, KD 20564, 4062 542.27, F02 Bwari 24-Nov-05

8 Rufai Hamza, KN 20021 1132 1088, B05 Utako 12-Aug-04

9 Ali Rufai 3861, KD 20024, 2900, A04 Asokoro 12-Aug-04

  On the strength of these allegations, he was arraigned at a  Federal High Court sitting in   Abuja on an eight count charge before Justice Adamu Bello. The EFCC says that it will not be deterred by the  court ruling but will go ahead with fresh charges and prove its case against the former minister.