The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to Wednesday.
Counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang (SAN), confirmed the development while speaking to journalists after the session but declined further comment.
“I’m sorry, I can’t talk now; we are in the middle of work. I have to go and file responses. The hearing of the bail application has been adjourned till tomorrow,” he said.
El-Rufai Controversial Excort
while Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was reported to have been abducted today by security operatives shortly after leaving court in Kaduna, while on his way home to continue receiving condolence visits, ICPC however told Journalists that he was taken into custody after his arraignment.
After the proceedings, El-Rufai was escorted out of the court premises by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in a white Hilux vehicle.
Earlier, the former governor had arrived at the Federal High Court under heavy security for the continuation of proceedings in his ongoing corruption trial.
The security presence was similar to what was seen during his arraignment last week before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, where he was docked on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.
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El-Rufai was brought to court after spending more than a month in detention, a development that has continued to draw public attention due to the high-profile nature of the case.
The court had earlier fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.
In a related development, the ICPC had on March 27 granted him temporary release on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.
Also on Tuesday, El-Rufai was arraigned before Kaduna State High Court on separate charges.
At the State High Court, he was docked alongside one Amadu Sule on allegations ranging from abuse of office and fraud to intent to commit fraud and conferring undue advantage.
The charges before the State High Court, also filed by the ICPC, are separate from those at the Federal High Court.
After the State High Court proceedings, the anti-corruption agency moved the former governor to the Federal High Court within the same premises for the continuation of his trial.
With the adjournment, hearing on the bail application is expected to resume on Wednesday.
About El-Rufai’s Federal High Court Charges
In the charges before the Federal High Court, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission accused Nasir El-Rufai of collecting inflated severance benefits totalling about N289.8 million at the end of each of his two terms, instead of the N20 million he was entitled to per term.
The commission alleged that he received the first N289.8 million in September 2020, after completing his first term in May 2019, and another N289.8 million in January 2023, months before the end of his second term in May 2023.
The total sum came to N579.7 million, far above the estimated N40 million due to him for both terms.
According to the agency, each payment amounted to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary, which he ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act linked to corruption. The offences were said to be contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In eight other counts, the ICPC alleged that El-Rufai received deposits of suspected proceeds of corruption and fraud totalling $817,900 into his domiciliary account with Guaranty Trust Bank. The deposits, made in tranches ranging from $4,000 to $320,800, were allegedly received from various individuals between 2016 and March 2023 while he was serving as governor of Kaduna State from May 2015 to May 2023.
El-Rufai has also filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging his arrest and detention as a violation of his fundamental rights and seeking N1 billion in damages.
Separately, he is facing prosecution by the State Security Service over alleged phone-tapping claims involving
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
