Nasir El-Rufai, ex-governor of Kaduna State, walked out of the Federal High Court on bail this afternoon after weeks in custody over allegations brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The court’s decision capped a tense morning session in Kaduna. El-Rufai reached the courtroom flanked by armed security, a sign of how politically charged the case has become. The judge did not release the exact bail terms, only that the former governor must meet them before regaining full freedom.
Prosecutors filed a fresh nine-count charge earlier in the day and quietly removed former co-defendant Amadu Sule. The move left El-Rufai facing the accusations alone.
Lead defence counsel Ubong Akpan (SAN) told reporters the team received the amended charge minutes before proceedings began. “They handed the papers to us while we were already in court,” he said, adding that the sudden swap forced them to seek more time.
ICPC claims El-Rufai’s administration was riddled with graft:
– N11 billion rail scam: allegedly funneling state funds to a non-existent company for a light-rail project.
– N289.8 million illegal severance payout: approving his own exit package above the legal cap.
– $1.08 million World Bank loan abuse: misdirecting international development money.
– N4.6 billion CCTV contract: awarding the deal without following procurement rules.
– Bribery: plotting to pay off federal investigators looking into the deals.
El-Rufai still faces a second, 10-count money-laundering case before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa. He has denied every accusation, calling them politically motivated.
Justice Darius Khobo has fixed 14 April 2026 for the next hearing in the ICPC matter.
Stay with OBSERVERS TIMES for updates as the trial moves forward.
