Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has been returned to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after he concluded the burial rites of his mother. El-Rufai, who was let go on administrative bail from custody on March 27, 2026, following the demise of his mother, was re-arraigned yesterday.
Earlier, the court had adjourned his application for bail till March 31, 2026.
However, on Tuesday, he first appeared at the Kaduna State High Court for a separate charge filed against him by the ICPC.
The absence of the second defendant stalled the hearing, which was then adjourned to 10 April 2026.
Subsequently, he was taken to the Federal High Court, Kaduna, which was scheduled to hear his application for bail today, Wednesday.
Shortly after the court’s proceedings, the former governor was returned to ICPC custody pending the continuation of his trial on Wednesday.
It was learned that the chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was taken to court amid tight security, less than 24 hours after he received dignitaries over the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
Speaking to journalists, El-Rufai’s counsel, Upong Akpan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the hearing on the bail application would determine his client’s fate temporarily.
Akpan, who did not go into details, expressed confidence that the former governor would regain his freedom in due time.
“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 told Daily Trust.
El-Rufai is standing trial before the Federal High Court on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.
The charges include the alleged unlawful receipt of about N289.8 million as severance allowance above-entitled benefits; the alleged receipt of $320,800 through multiple deposits into a domiciliary account; the alleged receipt of $155,800 and $305,300 from separate individuals; and the alleged receipt of smaller dollar deposits from different individuals at various times.
The allegations levelled against him that he all denied.
