Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June 2026.
El-Rufai is standing trial on multiple charges bordering on alleged financial misconduct and abuse of office filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In a related filing, the ICPC disclosed that another charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26 has also been instituted against El-Rufai and one Amadu Sule of LEDA before the Kaduna State High Court in the Kaduna Judicial Division.
According to the commission, the charges include abuse of office, fraud, intent to defraud, and conferring undue advantage. It stated that both cases were filed on March 18, 2026.
Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, criticised the repeated adjournments, alleging that the delay in hearing the bail application was politically motivated.
The high-profile case attracted heavy security presence around the court premises, with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies maintaining order.
El-Rufai arrived at the court at about 9 a.m. in a convoy accompanied by security operatives, while supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom.
Journalists were not allowed inside the courtroom, as proceedings focused on arguments from both the prosecution and defence on the bail application.
At the previous sitting, the defence argued that the former governor posed no flight risk and was prepared to comply with all bail conditions, while the prosecution urged the court to consider the seriousness of the charges.
The 66-year-old former governor has been in ICPC custody since February 19, following earlier proceedings involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was temporarily released on March 27 on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother.
