Court to Decide El-Rufai’s Bail Application Today
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is currently at the Federal High Court in Kaduna where the presiding judge is expected to deliver a ruling on his bail application in the ongoing trial bordering on alleged financial improprieties.
The court had on Tuesday adjourned the ruling on the bail application filed by the former governor, with proceedings scheduled to resume on Wednesday. El-Rufai arrived at the court premises shortly before 9 a.m. in the company of his legal team and was ushered into the courtroom amid tight security.
El-Rufai is facing a 10-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of criminal breach of trust, conversion of public property, and money laundering during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023. The EFCC had arraigned the former governor before Justice A. A. Bello of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, following months of investigation into the financial transactions of the Kaduna State Government during his eight-year administration.
The charges, which were filed on January 28, 2026, include allegations that the former governor unlawfully converted public assets and diverted state funds through proxy entities. El-Rufai has denied any wrongdoing. His legal team filed a bail application shortly after his arraignment, arguing that the former governor posed no flight risk and was willing to make himself available for trial.
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The prosecution, led by counsel from the EFCC’s Kaduna zonal command, had opposed the application, citing the gravity of the alleged offences and the potential for interference with investigations. During Tuesday’s sitting, counsel for both sides presented their arguments, after which Justice Bello adjourned to Wednesday for ruling.
The case is one of several post-tenure legal actions initiated by the EFCC against former governors in the North-West geopolitical zone. El-Rufai, who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under former President Olusegun Obasanjo before his two-term governorship, has maintained that the charges are politically motivated. His defence team has repeatedly called for the matter to be heard expeditiously.
As of the time of this report, court proceedings were ongoing, with supporters and political associates of the former governor gathered outside the court premises. Security operatives were deployed to maintain order, while lawyers and journalists were admitted into the courtroom for the hearing.