Court delays ruling on El-Rufai’s bail as corruption case deepens

The Federal High Court in Kaduna has adjourned the hearing on the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai until March 31, extending his stay in custody as legal arguments over his release continue.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa fixed the new date after listening to submissions from both the defence and prosecution during proceedings on Tuesday. The adjournment means El-Rufai will remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is prosecuting the case.

El-Rufai was earlier arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, conversion of public property, and unlawful financial benefits accrued during his time in office. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.

His counsel, Ukpon Akpan, urged the court to grant bail, arguing that his client requires freedom to adequately prepare his defence. However, the prosecution, led by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the application, maintaining that granting bail at this stage could interfere with ongoing investigations.

Disputed financial transactions at the centre

At the heart of the case are allegations of suspicious financial inflows into El-Rufai’s accounts, including what prosecutors describe as unlawful earnings during his tenure as governor.

According to the ICPC, the former governor allegedly received ₦289.8 million in severance allowances across two periods, September 2020 and January 2023, far exceeding the legally approved ₦20 million benchmark.

Earlier: El-Rufai arrives Kaduna court today under heavy security

Prosecutors argue that the excess payments, which represent roughly 300 per cent of his annual basic salary, should reasonably have been identified as proceeds of corruption.

The charges also detail a series of foreign currency deposits into his domiciliary account with Guaranty Trust Bank between 2016 and 2023. Among them is an alleged $320,800 paid in tranches by an associate, Joel Adoga, alongside multiple deposits ranging from $4,000 to $305,300 from other individuals, some of whom are reportedly still at large.

In a separate count, the ICPC accuses El-Rufai and Adoga of conspiring in 2019 to conceal the origin of $10,000 paid into the account, an act prosecutors say violates provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Defence pushes back as custody continues

Speaking after the court session, defence counsel Akpan described the proceedings as largely procedural, noting that the adjournment was specifically for the hearing of the bail application. He insisted that many of the allegations relate to legitimate earnings and financial transactions, including deposits into the former governor’s domiciliary account.

Despite these arguments, the court declined to grant immediate relief, opting instead to consider the matter at a later date.

El-Rufai has remained in custody since February 19, following his transfer from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the ICPC. His continued detention has drawn public attention, particularly given the scale of the allegations and the political profile of the case.

With the next hearing now set for March 31, the proceedings are expected to further test the strength of the prosecution’s claims and the defence’s push for bail, as the case continues to unfold.