El-Rufai Back in Court Days After Mum’s Funeral Release
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai appeared before the Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday for fresh arraignment proceedings, days after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) briefly released him on compassionate grounds to attend the funeral of his late mother in Egypt.
El-Rufai, who had spent over a month in ICPC custody, had been previously arraigned before Justice Rilwan Aikawa on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering. At that earlier sitting, the court scheduled March 31, 2026, to hear pending applications, including a bail request filed on his behalf.
The brief respite from detention came on March 27, when the ICPC granted the former governor a temporary release on compassionate grounds to mourn his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, who was buried in Cairo, Egypt. The funeral prayer was subsequently held on Sunday at the Central Mosque in Abuja and drew a notable gathering of Nigerian public figures, among them former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Video footage circulated on X by Nigerian Affairs Journal showed El-Rufai arriving at the Kaduna court premises aboard a white pickup truck under significant security presence. Dressed in a flowing light-blue agbada with a matching cap and a yellow-patterned inner garment, he walked steadily across the dusty courtyard flanked by uniformed security operatives and personal aides.
At Tuesday’s sitting, El-Rufai is being arraigned alongside co-defendant Amadu Sule. The charges before the State High Court include abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage. Following proceedings at the State High Court, the ICPC is expected to move the matter to the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where his bail application is to be formally considered.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 across two consecutive terms, has consistently denied all allegations levelled against him since his detention by the ICPC. His legal team has continued to contest the charges, and the bail proceedings are expected to be keenly watched given the political profile of the accused.
The ICPC, established under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000, is constitutionally empowered to investigate and prosecute public officials accused of corruption-related offences. El-Rufai’s case is among the most high-profile prosecutions the commission has handled involving a former state governor in recent years.
The case continues.