A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has ordered the remand of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, after adjourning the hearing of his bail application to April 14, 2026.
The presiding judge, Rilwanu Aikawa, fixed the date on Wednesday following arguments presented by both the prosecution and defence counsel in the ongoing criminal proceedings.
El-Rufai was recently arraigned by the anti-graft agency on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of public funds, abuse of office, and money laundering.
According to the charge, as reported by ICIR, he is accused of unlawfully receiving about ₦579 million as severance allowance—an amount said to be far above his approved entitlement—alongside multiple foreign currency transactions suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Prosecutors further alleged that the former governor received $320,800 through a series of transactions between 2017 and 2023, in addition to other foreign currency inflows from individuals reportedly still at large. The commission also accused him of conspiring to conceal the origin of the funds in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read in court.
During the bail proceedings, counsel to the defence urged the court to grant bail on constitutional grounds, arguing that the accused is entitled to liberty pending trial. The prosecution opposed the application, citing the seriousness of the allegations and raising concerns over potential interference with ongoing investigations.
This marks the second adjournment of the bail hearing. The court had earlier, on March 24, deferred ruling to March 31 after hearing initial submissions from both parties, before further adjourning to April 14.
Separately, El-Rufai is also expected to appear before a Kaduna State High Court on April 10, 2026, in another case instituted by the ICPC. Proceedings in that matter were stalled on March 31 due to the absence of a co-defendant, identified as Amadu Sule (also known as Leda), preventing formal arraignment. The case was subsequently adjourned.
According to court documents marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, the charges stem from alleged offences committed between 2015 and 2025, spanning El-Rufai’s tenure in office and the period after.
Among the allegations, prosecutors claim that in December 2016, while serving as governor, El-Rufai influenced the Kaduna State Government to approve an ₦11 billion payment to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was never executed.
He is also accused of approving and receiving severance payments exceeding ₦289 million in 2020 and 2023, allegedly beyond his lawful entitlement—actions the prosecution argues amount to abuse of office and corrupt enrichment.
In another count, the prosecution alleged that between March and November 2022, El-Rufai and an accomplice still at large dishonestly disposed of $1,085,066.38 in World Bank loan funds, in contravention of the terms governing the facility.
