By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted a N200 million bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in an alleged corruption charge filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The trial judge, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa, delivered the ruling on Tuesday, April 14, after adjourning the matter from April 1 to April 14, 2026, to consider arguments from both the prosecution and defence.
Justice Aikawa admitted El-Rufai to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum, describing the conditions as “strict and extensive.”
The court also ordered that El-Rufai remain in the custody of ICPC pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
In the ruling, the court ordered the sureties to deposit their passports as part of the bail conditions.
The judge further directed that one of the sureties must be a civil servant, not below Grade Level 15, and the other must be a recognised traditional ruler.
The court further barred El-Rufai from making public comments relating to the case and must attend all court sittings.
The former governor’s counsel, Ubong Akpan, declined comment on the matter when journalists approached him shortly after proceedings.
However, El-Rufai’s son, Bello El-Rufai, confirmed that his father had been granted bail.
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Meanwhile, proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court earlier on Tuesday in another matter involving the former governor were stalled as the court adjourned ruling on El-Rufai’s bail application to April 21, 2026.
The adjournment followed the inability of the presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, to deliver the ruling as earlier scheduled.
Recall that the ICPC had, on March 18, 2026, arraigned El-Rufai alongside the Managing Director of TMDK Terminal Limited, Amadu Sule, before the Kaduna State High Court under Charge No. KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26.
The charges initially bordered on alleged abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
However, the prosecution amended the charges on Monday, April 13, dropping Sule as a defendant and leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant in the case.
After the adjournment, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akpan, attributed the development to circumstances beyond the court’s control and expressed optimism ahead of the rescheduled date.
He said, “His Lordship was bereaved, and he was unable to put the ruling together. So, we understand these things happen.
“So the ruling has been adjourned to Tuesday next week; the ruling on the motion for bail. So, fingers crossed.”
