- Nasir El-Rufai was returned to ICPC custody after his bail hearing was stalled
- The Federal High Court adjourned the bail hearing to April 1, 2026 due to legal disputes between prosecution and defence delayed proceedings
- The bail hearing is expected to resume today, Wednesday, April 1, under tight security
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been returned to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission following the adjournment of his bail hearing at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
The court, presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, adjourned proceedings until Wednesday, April 1, 2026, after legal disputes between the prosecution and defence stalled the hearing of the bail application.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution submitted a counter-affidavit to oppose the bail request, leaving the defence with little time to prepare a response.
Earlier, the defence had filed a motion asking the court to recuse itself over alleged bias and a pending petition against the judge, but later withdrew the request.
The back-and-forth legal moves triggered prolonged exchanges between both parties, ultimately preventing the court from proceeding with the bail hearing.
Justice Aikawa subsequently fixed Wednesday for continuation of the hearing.
Proceedings were conducted under heavy security, with journalists barred from entering the courtroom.
Security operatives restricted media access to the outer premises, while both prosecution and defence teams declined to speak after the session.
Confirming the adjournment, El-Rufai’s counsel, Ukpong Akpan, said, “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.”
Following the session, El-Rufai was escorted from the court premises by ICPC operatives.
Security presence around the court complex was intense, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Services controlling access and restricting vehicular movement, leading to traffic congestion along the Ungwan Sarki–Kawo axis.
El-Rufai was earlier arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court alongside Amadu Sule on separate charges, including abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud. That court adjourned the matter until April 10.
He is also facing a 10-count charge before the Federal High Court bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering, filed by the ICPC.
The anti-graft agency accused him of receiving N289,826,998.12 as severance allowance, far above his legitimate entitlement of about N20 million, and allegedly receiving $797,900 through multiple deposits believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Additionally, the commission alleged that he conspired with an associate to conceal the origin of $10,000 in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
El-Rufai had earlier been released on compassionate grounds on March 27 following the death of his mother in Cairo, Egypt, after spending over a month in detention.
In a related case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the former governor withdrew a fundamental rights enforcement suit against a magistrate linked to a N1 billion claim.
At the hearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, El-Rufai’s counsel, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, applied to discontinue the case against the magistrate due to improper identification.
The court struck out the magistrate’s name and a pending ex parte application. However, when the defence sought an adjournment to amend the originating processes, counsel to the ICPC, Abdul Mohammed (SAN), opposed the move, arguing that the case had collapsed.
“Having struck out the name of the 2nd defendant, it means there is no case before this court,” he argued.
Justice Abdulmalik disagreed, stating, “You are jumping the gun. You can respond by filing a counter-affidavit.”
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until June 17 to allow for amendments.
El-Rufai’s suit challenges the legality of a February 19, 2026 search conducted at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja, alleging violations of his fundamental rights to dignity, liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under the 1999 Constitution.
However, the ICPC and police maintain that the operation was backed by a valid court-issued warrant and have urged the court to dismiss the suit, accusing the former governor of attempting to obstruct ongoing investigations.
With the latest adjournment, the highly anticipated bail hearing is set to resume today.