Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was on Tuesday re-arraigned as his legal battle with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) deepened, with fresh charges and an adjournment of his bail hearing.
El-Rufai appeared before both the Kaduna State High Court and the Federal High Court in Kaduna, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing prosecution.
At the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo, the former governor was arraigned alongside one Amadu Sule on fresh allegations bordering on abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage. The charges are separate from those already instituted at the Federal High Court.
Following the State High Court proceedings, ICPC operatives moved El-Rufai to the Federal High Court within the same premises, where he is standing trial before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa on a 10-count charge involving alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.
The Federal High Court subsequently adjourned the hearing of his bail application until Wednesday.
Counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan (SAN), confirmed the adjournment but declined to provide further details.
“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, who had spent over a month in detention prior to recent developments, was earlier granted temporary release on March 27, 2026, on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.
Despite the temporary release, he remains at the centre of a high-profile corruption trial that has drawn widespread public attention.
Security was notably tight around the court premises, mirroring the arrangements during his earlier arraignment. After Tuesday’s proceedings, he was escorted out by ICPC operatives in a white Hilux vehicle.
The court had initially fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request, but the process has now been extended.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress has continued to dismiss the allegations against the former governor, maintaining its support as the legal battle unfolds.
Further proceedings are expected to resume on Wednesday, with arguments on the bail application set to continue.
