El Rufai’s Special Adviser Wanted for Fraud in the US – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of online newspapers, Sahara Reporters has branded Jimi Lawal, a former Managing Director of the defunct Alpha Merchant Bank and newly appointed Special Adviser to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai as a “criminal and fugitive” running from the law.

Sowore, in an article published on Sahara Reporters on February 3rd, 2006 described Jimi Lawal as a fraudster who was wanted in the United States of America for fraud.

Lawal allegedly entered into banking and national prominence in 1988 when he became the managing director of Alpha Merchant Bank. Initially, he was hailed as the long-awaited banking whizz-kid needed to breathe some refreshing change into an industry rendered stuffy by some old, first-generation conservatives. Within seven months of commencing operations, Alpha Merchant Bank had posted a profit of N7 million. But Lawal’s sweet run was marred with a streak of scandals.

According to media reports, El-Rufai and Lawal have been known to be “some special kind of friends since 1991.”

In a statement by Governor El Rufai’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State governor on Thursday named Mr. Lawal as his adviser on Investment.