Just in: El-Rufai arrives court for bail hearing

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday for the resumed hearing of his bail application in an ongoing corruption trial.

The hearing had been adjourned from Tuesday, with El-Rufai’s counsel, Ukpong Abang (SAN), confirming the development shortly after court proceedings. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk now, we are in the middle of work. I have to go and file responses. The hearing of the bail application has been adjourned till tomorrow,” he stated.

El-Rufai was escorted out of the court premises in a white Hilux vehicle by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). His arrival was marked by a heavy security presence, similar to previous appearances, including his arraignment last week.

He is standing trial before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa on a 10-count charge of alleged conversion and possession of public property and money laundering. The former governor had spent over a month in detention before being released on compassionate grounds by the ICPC on March 27, 2026, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.

The court had initially fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.