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The prosecution counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has opposed the bail application filed by Nasir El-Rufai’s former aide Jimi Lawal, the second defendant in the alleged financial misconduct trial of former Kaduna State Governor El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
Prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mukhtar, disclosed this on Wednesday shortly after proceedings before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, who adjourned the hearing of the bail application until October 16, 2026, while the substantive trial was fixed for December 8, 2026.
Mukhtar said the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit opposing the application but was yet to present its arguments before the court.
“We have already filed a counter-affidavit to it. So, we are opposing the application,” he said.
He declined to disclose the grounds for opposing the application, explaining that the prosecution was yet to move its counter-affidavit before the court.
At the proceedings, counsel to the second defendant urged the court to grant Lawal bail on medical grounds, arguing that his health condition justified his release.
The defence counsel also argued that having granted the defendant administrative bail, the prosecution was not in a position to oppose his release.
He maintained that the medical grounds presented in the application were sufficient to warrant bail, adding that only a living person could stand trial.
The court adjourned the bail application until Friday, October 16, for hearing.
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Speaking on the nature of the case, Mukhtar said the charges against the defendants bordered on alleged financial misconduct.
He said the case involved about seven counts but noted that the trial had yet to commence and no witnesses had been presented before the court.
Counsel to El-Rufai, Mustapha Abubakar SAN, told journalists after the proceedings that new counsel had announced an appearance for the prosecution and sought time to study the case.
Abubakar said the defence team representing El-Rufai was also appearing newly in the matter and supported the request for adjournment to enable it to take over the brief from the former counsel.
He explained that the substantive case was consequently adjourned until December 8 for trial.
On Lawal’s bail application, Abubakar said the relevant processes, including the motion, the prosecution’s counter-affidavit and the further affidavit filed in response, were before the court.
According to him, the prosecution informed the court that it needed time to study the further affidavit, which had been served on it that day.
He said counsel to Lawal agreed to the adjournment in the interest of fair hearing, although the bail application had already been moved.
