Court adjourns El-Rufai’s trial to June 24

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

A federal court sitting in Kaduna under Justice Hauwau Buhari has adjourned the case of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who is facing charges of alleged abuse of office, fraud, and financial misconduct filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to June 24.

The trial could not be held on Monday after El-Rufai’s two co-defendants failed to appear before the court.

Daily Sun observed that the former governor arrived at the court alongside officials of the ICPC, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and police personnel around 9:30 am in a white Hilux vehicle.

However, the court was unable to proceed with the matter due to the absence of the two co-defendants, prompting the judge to adjourn the case.

Counsel to El-Rufai, Akpan Ubang, SAN, in a brief chat with newsmen shortly after the court proceedings, said nothing significant took place inside the court.

He explained that the judge adjourned the case for the prosecutor to serve the charges to the two defendants.

According to him, the defendants were not in the court, which has delayed everything, including the arraignment, saying, “Apart from that, nothing of significance happened inside the court because they need to serve the co-defendant the charges, which made the case be adjourned to the 24th of this month.”

On April 14, the presiding judge at Court 1, Federal High Court Kaduna, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, granted the former governor bail for ₦200 million, with conditions including two sureties, one being a serving or retired civil servant in grade level 15 and the other a recognised traditional ruler.