A Federal High Court in Kaduna has adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai to April 14, 2026, ordering that he remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission pending the determination of the application.
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The presiding judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, fixed the new date after listening to arguments from both the defence and prosecution on Wednesday.
The former governor arrived at the court premises around 9:00am in a black Hilux vehicle, accompanied by officials of the Department of State Services.
El-Rufai, dressed in a light brown traditional outfit (riga) and cap, appeared calm as he walked into the courtroom under the escort of DSS operatives.
The presence of DSS officials alongside ICPC operatives underscores the multiple layers of security and legal scrutiny surrounding the former governor, who also faces a separate prosecution by the State Security Service over allegations of phone-tapping involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai was arraigned by the ICPC on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion of public property and money laundering.
The charges stem from investigations into alleged financial misconduct during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.
He is accused of receiving ₦289,826,998.12 as severance allowance when he was legally entitled to only ₦20,013,245. He is also alleged to have $817,900 in a GTBank domiciliary account.
The former governor pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Ubong Akpan (SAN), one of the counsels to El-Rufai, confirmed the adjournment but said the lead counsel would address journalists later.
The African Democratic Congress chieftain has denied the allegations levelled against him, describing his trial as a witch hunt.
Last week, the ICPC had arraigned El-Rufai before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa on the 10-count charge.
The former governor was produced in court after more than a month in detention, having been arrested on February 18, 2026.
The court had subsequently fixed March 31, 2026, to hear pending applications, including the bail request.
But on March 31, the matter was adjourned to April 1, 2026, after the prosecution said it had just filed its counter affidavit.
Wednesday’s adjournment to April 14 means El-Rufai will spend additional weeks in ICPC custody before his bail application can be heard.
On March 27, 2026, the ICPC released El-Rufai on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.
The release was granted despite a subsisting court remand order, a decision that sparked controversy and questions about its legality.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong had questioned the release without a court order, asking: “Is this another government magic that the legendary Fela sang about?”
Despite his legal troubles, El-Rufai received condolence messages and visits from top dignitaries across the political spectrum.
President Bola Tinubu sent a condolence message, while Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, paid condolence visits.
More than 10 governors, including Senator Uba Sani of Kaduna State — El-Rufai’s estranged ally — participated in the funeral activities held at the National Mosque in Abuja.
Key ADC chieftains who personally condoled with him include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former ministers Abubakar Malami, Isa Pantami, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola.
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, also paid a condolence visit to El-Rufai in Abuja.
On Tuesday, barely three days after burying his mother, El-Rufai was arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court alongside one Amadu Sule for alleged offences ranging from abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage, among others.
It was after the State High Court proceedings that he was taken to the Federal High Court, from where he returned to ICPC custody following Wednesday’s adjournment.
The former governor now faces charges in multiple courts:
Federal High Court, Kaduna: 10-count charge including conversion of public property and money laundering. Co-accused: Joel Adoga. Bail application adjourned to April 14, 2026.
Kaduna State High Court: Charges of abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage. Co-accused: Amadu Sule.
State Security Service Prosecution: Allegations of phone-tapping involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Arraignment scheduled for April 23, 2026.
During earlier proceedings, El-Rufai’s legal team led by Barrister Ubong Akpan reminded the court of their client’s petition against the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, which is pending before the National Judicial Council.
Justice Aikawa had ruled that he would at least conduct the arraignment of the defendants and hear the matter of his recusal based on a formal application.
Associate Bashir Garba Sufyan revealed that El-Rufai fasted throughout his detention, completed reading the entire Quran, read 10 books, and wrote books while in ICPC custody.
El-Rufai’s return to ICPC custody, escorted by DSS officials and facing prosecution in multiple courts, marks a dramatic fall for a politician who once wielded significant influence in northern Nigeria and was instrumental in President Tinubu’s emergence.
The two-week wait until April 14 for the bail hearing means the former governor will spend additional time in detention as his legal battles intensify.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon and reports that El-Rufai has vowed to oppose Tinubu’s re-election bid, his prosecution has taken on political dimensions that extend beyond the courtroom.
The presence of top government officials at his mother’s funeral — even as federal agencies prosecute him — reflects the complex and often contradictory nature of Nigerian politics, where personal relationships and political rivalries coexist in uneasy tension.
For El-Rufai, the path from ICPC custody to the courtroom and back has become a familiar journey — one that shows no signs of ending soon.
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