Court adjourns bail hearing for El-Rufai till wednesday

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Kaduna

The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, till Wednesday.

Counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang (SAN), who spoke briefly with journalists after the session, confirmed the adjournment but declined to provide further details.

“I’m sorry, I can’t talk now; we are in the middle of work. I have to go and file responses. The hearing of the bail application has been adjourned till tomorrow,” he said.

Following the court proceedings, El-Rufai was escorted out of the premises by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a white Hilux vehicle.

Earlier, the former governor had arrived at the Federal High Court under tight security for the continuation of proceedings in his ongoing corruption trial.

The heavy security presence mirrored the situation during his arraignment last week before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, where he was docked on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.

El-Rufai was brought to court after spending over a month in detention, a development that has continued to attract widespread public attention due to the high-profile nature of the case.

The court had initially fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.

However, in a related development, the ICPC had on March 27 granted him temporary release on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.

Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, El-Rufai was also arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court on separate charges.

At the State High Court, he was docked alongside one Amadu Sule on allegations ranging from abuse of office and fraud to intent to commit fraud and conferring undue advantage.

The charges at the State High Court, also instituted by the ICPC, are distinct from those before the Federal High Court.

After the proceedings at the State High Court, the anti-corruption agency moved the former governor to the Federal High Court within the same premises for the continuation of his trial.

With the latest adjournment, hearing on the bail application is now expected to resume on Wednesday.

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