A federal High Court, Abuja Division presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, has ordered the remand of Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange in Nigerian Correctional Centres over alleged electoral fraud.
While Dawaki was remanded at the Custodial Centre in Kuje, Fatange was remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Suleja till Monday, September 15, 2025, pending the hearing of the bail application for both the first and second defendants in the case filed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.
The accused the anti-graft agency identified as Esther Dawaki (Candidate) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives Candidate for Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency by-election held on the same August 16, 2025, while Shehu Fatange (the campaign DG) are facing on a five-count charge, bordering on accepting and making cash payments in excess of the amount authorised by law, conspiracy, and money laundering to the tune of ₦26 million earmarked for vote buying at the poll.
Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange were arraigned on a two-count charge on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which revealed this in a statement.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Esther Ashivilli Dawaki (F) and other, 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 Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Shehu Aliyu Fatange (M) on or about the 16th of August, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did accept cash payment of the sum of N26,000,000.00 (Two-Six Million Naira, only), which exceeds the amount authorised by the law to one Esther Ashivelli dawaki (F) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2(1)(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.”
Earlier, both the accused, pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which prosecution counsel, M. O, Arumemi asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
Counsel to the defendants, E. N. Ogbu and while A.A. Ashat had no objections, they made oral applications for their bail.
They asked for a short adjournment as well as for the defendants to be remanded in EFCC’s holding facility, pending determination of the bail applications.
Consequently, Justice Nwite ordered their remand of the accused who were arrested by EFCC operatives on August 16, 2025.
The duo was arrested following credible intelligence that exposed them to have possessed the sum of N26,463,000.00 (Twenty-six Million Four Hundred and Sixty-three Thousand Naira), which they kept inside a Toyota Corolla 2010 model, belonging to Shehu and packed within a hotel premises in Kaduna.
