KADUNA — The trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suffered a setback on Thursday as a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna adjourned proceedings until June 1, 2026, to hear two pre-trial motions filed by the defence in the corruption case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai, who is facing allegations of financial misconduct involving the alleged release of billions of naira for projects said to have remained unexecuted, was absent in court during Thursday’s proceedings.
The former governor has, however, denied all allegations levelled against him by the anti-graft agency.
The court had earlier adjourned from Wednesday to Thursday for ruling on applications seeking variation of some of the bail conditions earlier granted to the defendant.
Trial judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, had on April 14 admitted El-Rufai to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum. The court also ordered that the former governor remain in ICPC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
Justice Aikawa had ruled that one of the sureties must be a senior civil servant not below Grade Level 15, while the second surety must be a recognised elder in Kaduna State. The court further directed the sureties to deposit their international passports and restrained the former governor from making public comments relating to the case.
Delivering a ruling on the application for variation of the bail conditions on Thursday, Justice Aikawa declined the request by the defence seeking permission for the first surety to provide a bank guarantee of N200 million instead of a cash deposit.
The court, however, granted the application seeking variation of the condition requiring the second surety to be recognised by the Kaduna State Council of Elders, allowing instead recognition by a District Head.
Counsel to the former governor, Mustapha Abubakar (SAN), also informed the court of two pending motions filed by the defence challenging some of the documents attached to the charges preferred by the ICPC.
Following the development, the court adjourned the matter until 1 p.m. on June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motions after the defence counsel informed the court that he was not prepared to move the applications immediately.
