Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted bail to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is facing allegations of financial misconduct.
El-Rufai is being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over issues relating to deposits in his domiciliary account and the handling of his earnings.
However, his bail application at the Kaduna State High Court remains pending, as the presiding judge, Darius Khobo, has reserved ruling until April 21, 2026.
The former governor was arraigned before the state high court on Monday, April 13, 2026, by ICPC operatives alongside personnel of the Department of State Services. He is facing an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.
According to court documents, one of the major allegations is that El-Rufai authorised the release of about ₦11 billion in state funds to an unregistered entity for a proposed light rail project that was never executed.
The prosecution also alleged that he approved and received ₦289.8 million as severance allowance—far exceeding the legally approved entitlement of about ₦20 million—thereby conferring undue financial benefit on himself.
In another count, El-Rufai is accused of mismanaging over $1.08 million from a World Bank loan granted to Kaduna State, allegedly in violation of the terms governing the facility.
He has denied all the allegations.
During proceedings, the defence team, led by Ubong Akpan, raised concerns over the late service of the amended charges, stating that they were only made available in court.
Following the objection, Justice Khobo adjourned the matter to allow the defence sufficient time to review the new filings.
