Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, appeared before the Kaduna State High Court on Monday as proceedings began on his bail application over a nine-count charge brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai is being prosecuted for alleged fraud, abuse of office, and other corruption-related offences reportedly committed during his time in office.
The court session, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo, was held behind closed doors, with journalists denied access to the courtroom.
Sources revealed that the initial charge included El-Rufai alongside one Amadu Sule as co-defendants. However, the prosecution later amended the charge sheet, removing Sule and leaving the former governor as the sole defendant.
Speaking after the hearing, El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Akpan, disclosed that the defence team was only served with the revised charges moments before proceedings commenced.
“The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed,” Akpan said, adding that the team would review the documents before taking further action.
Following the development, the court adjourned the matter to April 14 for the continuation of the bail hearing.
Allegations Detailed
According to court filings, the ICPC accused El-Rufai of authorising the release of about ₦11 billion from the Kaduna State Government to an unregistered entity for a proposed light rail project that was never executed.
He is also alleged to have approved and received ₦289.8 million as severance allowance—far exceeding the legally approved amount of approximately ₦20 million—thereby granting himself undue financial benefit.
In another charge, the anti-graft agency claimed the former governor mismanaged over $1.08 million from a World Bank loan allocated to Kaduna State, allegedly violating the terms of the agreement.
The commission further accused him of conspiring with an associate still at large to bribe federal investigators in a bid to influence an ongoing probe involving a private firm.
Additional allegations include the irregular award of a ₦4.6 billion CCTV surveillance contract in Kaduna metropolis, in breach of procurement laws, and the alleged conferring of undue advantage on an associate.
El-Rufai is also expected to face separate charges at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, also filed by the ICPC.
