JUST IN: Kaduna Court Adjourns El-Rufai Bail Hearing to June

A Kaduna State High Court has postponed the hearing of a bail application filed by former governor Nasir El-Rufai until the first week of June 2026.

The presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, announced the adjournment on Tuesday after proceedings in the ongoing case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

El-Rufai is facing multiple charges related to alleged financial misconduct and abuse of office during his time in government. He has denied all allegations.

The case has experienced delays in recent weeks. Court sources said proceedings were affected after the prosecution introduced an amended nine-count charge, which removed an earlier co-defendant, Amadu Sule, leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant.

Defence counsel Ubong Akpan (SAN) had earlier stated that the revised charges were presented without prior notice. According to him, the defence received the new filings on the day of the hearing, making it difficult to proceed.

The charges include allegations that El-Rufai approved the release of about ₦11 billion to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was not carried out. He is also accused of authorising payments of ₦289.8 million as severance benefits beyond legal limits and mismanaging over $1.08 million from a World Bank loan.

Other counts relate to the award of a ₦4.6 billion CCTV contract in Kaduna allegedly in violation of procurement rules, as well as claims of attempts to influence federal investigators.

In a separate development last week, a Federal High Court granted El-Rufai bail in another case filed by the ICPC. That case involves a 10-count charge, including allegations of money laundering and unlawful possession of public funds.

Security around the Kaduna court has remained tight during recent hearings, reflecting public attention on the case. Access to earlier proceedings was restricted, with journalists barred from entering the courtroom.

With the adjournment, arguments on the bail application are expected to continue in June as both sides prepare for the next phase of the trial.