A Federal High Court in Kaduna has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over corruption allegations brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, set bail at ₦200 million with two sureties of equal value. However, the court ordered that El-Rufai remain in ICPC custody until all bail requirements are fully satisfied.
According to the court, the bail conditions are stringent. The sureties must submit their international passports, with one required to be a civil servant of at least Grade Level 15, while the other must be a recognised traditional ruler. El-Rufai is also prohibited from making public statements about the case and must attend all court proceedings.
The decision followed arguments presented by both the prosecution and defence after the matter had been adjourned from April 1 to April 14, 2026.
Although El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, declined to speak to journalists after the hearing, his son, Bello El-Rufai, confirmed that bail had been granted. Similarly, Hayatudeen Makarfi of the African Democratic Congress noted that the bail conditions include financial obligations, property requirements, and a traditional ruler as one of the sureties.
Earlier in the day, a separate proceeding at the Kaduna State High Court was delayed after Justice Darius Khobo was unable to deliver a ruling on El-Rufai’s bail application. The matter has now been adjourned to April 21, 2026.
El-Rufai was initially arraigned by the ICPC on March 18, 2026, alongside Amadu Sule, Managing Director of TMDK Terminal Limited, on charges including abuse of office and fraud. However, prosecutors later revised the case, dropping Sule and focusing solely on El-Rufai.
Following the state court session, El-Rufai was taken before the Federal High Court, where he faced a separate 10-count charge before Justice Aikawa.
These developments underline the growing number of legal challenges confronting the former governor across different courts.
- NAN