Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai and six co-defendants have been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption, money laundering and other related offences.
The defendants appeared before Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of the Federal High Court in Kaduna on an amended 11-count charge filed by the anti-corruption agency.
Others named in the case include Jimi Lawal, a former adviser to el-Rufai, as well as five companies: Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.
The charge also references Bashir el-Rufai, identified as an elder brother of the former governor, who the commission said is currently at large.
According to the ICPC, el-Rufai allegedly approved the award of a multi-billion naira contract for the procurement, design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system across Kaduna metropolis in violation of public procurement regulations.
The commission alleged that the contract, valued at ₦8.68 billion, was awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited despite claims that the company lacked the necessary qualifications and experience required for the project.
Prosecutors further alleged that the defendants were involved in the receipt and movement of more than ₦2 billion through a series of transactions linked to the companies named in the charge between 2017 and 2022.
When the charges were read in court, both el-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty.
Following their pleas, the matter was adjourned until July 1, 2026, when the court is expected to rule on pending bail applications.
The latest case adds to a growing number of legal battles involving the former governor, who served as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023.
Lawal, one of the co-defendants, held several positions during el-Rufai’s administration, including Senior Adviser to the Governor and Counsellor at the Kaduna Economic Development Council between 2019 and 2023. He also served as Special Adviser during the former governor’s first term in office.
Apart from the current proceedings, el-Rufai is facing other prosecutions instituted by both the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) in courts across the country.
The ICPC had earlier filed separate corruption and money laundering cases against him before the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court.
The DSS is also prosecuting the former governor over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted telephone communications allegedly linked to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
In previous proceedings, different courts have issued varying decisions on his bail applications.
While the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him bail in the sum of ₦200 million, the Kaduna State High Court declined a separate application.
Similarly, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted el-Rufai bail on terms requiring a ₦100 million bond and one surety in like sum. The court further directed that the surety must own property in either Maitama or Asokoro and deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy with the court.
The bail conditions have generated public debate, with some observers describing them as unusually stringent.
The case is expected to continue when the court delivers its ruling on the bail request next month.
