Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna has granted bail to former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who is facing charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai is being prosecuted over alleged financial misconduct, including questions surrounding deposits into his domiciliary account and the handling of his earnings while in office.
However, a separate bail application by the former governor was stalled at the Kaduna State High Court on Monday. Presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, reserved ruling on the application until April 21, 2026.
El-Rufai was arraigned before the state high court on multiple counts bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office. He was brought to court on Monday, April 13, 2026, by operatives of the ICPC and personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS). The ICPC is prosecuting him on an amended nine-count charge after the agency reviewed its initial filing.
According to court documents, one of the key allegations is that El-Rufai authorised the release of about ₦11 billion from Kaduna State funds to an unregistered entity for a proposed light rail project that was never executed.
The prosecution further alleged that the former governor approved and received ₦289.8 million as severance allowance, an amount said to exceed the legally approved entitlement of about ₦20 million, thereby conferring undue financial benefit on himself.
In another count, El-Rufai is accused of mismanaging over $1.08 million, part of a World Bank loan granted to Kaduna State, in contravention of the terms governing the facility.
El-Rufai has denied all allegations against him.
During Monday’s proceedings, the defence team led by Barrister Ubong Akpan raised concerns over the late service of the amended charges, noting that the documents were only made available in court. This prompted Justice Khobo to adjourn the matter to allow the defence adequate time to review the new filings.
El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. The ICPC cases before both the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court are part of ongoing legal proceedings linked to his tenure.
