The Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai to the first week of June 2026. The presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, made the announcement on Tuesday, April 21, during a court session in Kaduna.
Justice Khobo postponed the ruling on the bail application after the court had previously fixed April 21 to deliver its decision. The former governor arrived at the court at about 9 a.m. in a convoy accompanied by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the court vicinity.
The ICPC arraigned El-Rufai on April 13, 2026, before the Kaduna State High Court on an amended nine count charge. The charges border on alleged fraud and abuse of office during his tenure as governor.
The anti-graft agency accused El-Rufai of inducing the Kaduna State Government to release about N11 billion to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that never materialised.
The commission also alleged that the former governor approved and received approximately N289.8 million as severance allowance, far above the legally entitled sum of about N20 million.
Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, faulted the repeated adjournment of the bail hearing. He described the pattern as “politically motivated.”
Akpan expressed frustration over the continuous postponement. He stated, “Our client has demonstrated his willingness to face trial and comply with all legal requirements. Yet a fundamental issue such as bail continues to be deferred. This raises serious questions that cannot be ignored.”
In a separate corruption case instituted by the ICPC at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, another judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N200 million on April 14, 2026.
Justice Aikawa ordered that El-Rufai remain in ICPC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, which include providing a surety with landed property and a traditional title.
Despite that ruling, El-Rufai remains unable to benefit from the relief granted, as the pending decision in the Kaduna State High Court continues to affect his legal standing.
El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 19, 2026. He was briefly released on compassionate grounds on March 27 to attend the burial of his mother before being returned to custody.
In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor alleged a coordinated and orchestrated attempt to smear his reputation and prolong his detention.
Adekeye stated, “Any objective reader would recognise the clear intent behind these statements: to smear Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s reputation, jeopardise his pending bail application at the Kaduna State High Court, and implicate him in serious capital offences.”
The former governor has denied all allegations against him. With the adjournment to June, he will remain in custody pending the court’s decision on whether to grant him bail or continue his detention.
