By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was arraigned on Tuesday morning at the Federal High Court in Kaduna over alleged corruption-related offences. He arrived at the court premises under heavy security provided by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to reports, El-Rufai arrived in a Hilux vehicle at approximately 9:00 a.m. and remained inside for over 30 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom at around 9:34 a.m.
In a video shared by NTA News, the former governor was seen wearing a light green babanriga with a matching cap, surrounded by heavily armed security personnel who formed a tight cordon as he entered the courtroom.
Journalists were barred from covering the proceedings, despite the high-profile nature of the case. Reporters who had arrived as early as 7:00 a.m. were denied access to the courtroom by DSS operatives, raising concerns about transparency.
Security was significantly intensified around the court, which is situated within the old Nigerian Defence Academy area. Armed personnel from the DSS, Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were deployed in large numbers from the early hours of the morning.
