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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai to the first week of June, 2026.
He is being arraigned on 9-count charge bordering on alleged financial crime and abuse of office by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Speaking to journalists after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan, kicked against the lingering adjournment of the bail hearing by one presiding judge as politically motivated.
The anti-graft agency had earlier amended the charge, leaving the former governor as the sole defendant before the Kaduna State High Court.
“The court, in its wisdom, decided that because Nasir El-Rufai is a former governor, he is going to interfere with the investigation. Therefore, he is not entitled to bail in an allegation of financial impropriety. We respectfully disagree,” he said.
Akpan stated that the defence team would review the ruling and take appropriate legal steps to challenge it. “The next step is to take the legal steps required to challenge it. We will respond through the proper legal process. That is what the law requires.”
The defence lawyer further maintained that the case had political undertones, but stressed that the team would remain guided by the rule of law.
“From the beginning, everything about Nasir El-Rufai’s travails has always been political. This is mainly the legal arm of it,” he said.
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He also urged supporters of the former governor to remain calm and law-abiding. “Don’t allow fear to take over. Don’t act as if something fatal has happened. Nobody has died,” he said.
“In a conflict, you have gains and setbacks. Sometimes things work against you, but you must not be frightened. Sit up. We are going to take this battle on and we are going to win.”
The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with heightened security presence observed around the court premises.
The former governor had arrived at the court at about 9 am in a convoy accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
During the proceedings, supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the vicinity.
Journalists were not allowed into the courtroom, as proceedings were expected to focus on arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding the bail request.
However, El-Rufai is currently enjoying bail relief granted him by the Federal High Court, leaving his fate in the parallel State High Court proceedings unresolved.
The Federal High Court in Kaduna, presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, had two weeks ago admitted the former governor to bail in the sum of ₦200 million following his arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on amended charges.
The bail conditions required him to provide a ₦200 million bond with two sureties, including a property owner with a valid Certificate of Occupancy and a recognised elder in Kaduna State to be verified by the Kaduna State Council of Elders. He is also barred from granting media interviews, mandated to report monthly to the ICPC, and ordered to surrender his international passport.
