A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State has adjourned proceedings in the trial of a former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai, until June 24, 2026.
The case, brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), involves allegations of abuse of office, fraud, and financial misconduct during his tenure as governor.
El-Rufai, through his lawyers, has consistently denied all allegations against him.
At the resumed trial on Monday, the former governor was brought to the court at about 9:30am, accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services and the police.
Previous hearings focused on El-Rufai’s bail application and related legal arguments.
Prosecutors alleged that funds were improperly released for projects that were either not executed or were irregularly managed.
El-Rufai has denied all the charges and maintains his innocence.
At Monday’s sitting, the court was expected to continue hearing motions and arguments from both the prosecution and defence as the case progresses.
On April 14, 2026, the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, granted the former governor bail in the sum of ₦200 million, with conditions including two sureties — one being a serving or retired civil servant on Grade Level 15, and the other a recognised traditional ruler.
While El-Rufai’s lawyers applied to the Federal High Court for the variation of the bail conditions , a Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Darius Khobo denied him bail, citing concerns that his influence could interfere with investigations into serious corruption allegations brought by the ICPC.
The former governor was in court for the continuation of his trial; the court, however, adjourned the case to June 28, due to the absence of two defendants charged along with him.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
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