The Federal High Court in Kaduna has postponed its ruling on the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, with a decision now expected today.
El-Rufai is currently standing trial on a 10-count charge involving alleged misappropriation and possession of public assets, as well as money laundering. He appeared in court on Tuesday under heavy security as proceedings continued in the high-profile case. The tight security presence mirrored the situation during his earlier arraignment before Justice Rilwan Aikawa.
Following the session, his counsel, Mr. Ukpong Abang (SAN), confirmed the adjournment, noting that further legal responses were being prepared ahead of the bail ruling.
The former governor, who has spent more than a month in detention, was escorted from the court by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. He had earlier been granted temporary release on compassionate grounds after the death of his mother in Cairo, Egypt.
In a related matter, El-Rufai is also facing separate charges before a Kaduna State High Court alongside one Amadu Sule. The charges include alleged abuse of office, fraud, and conferring undue advantage. These charges, also filed by the ICPC, are distinct from those before the Federal High Court.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 17 to hear a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by El-Rufai against the ICPC and other parties. The suit challenges the legality of a search conducted at his Abuja residence.
Presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, fixed the date after preliminary proceedings in which El-Rufai’s legal team argued that the search warrant used by authorities was invalid. According to the former governor, the warrant—issued by a magistrate court—failed to meet constitutional requirements, citing lack of probable cause, ambiguity, and drafting errors.
He further contended that the execution of the warrant by ICPC operatives and officers of the Nigeria Police Force violated his fundamental rights, including privacy, dignity, personal liberty, and fair hearing as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution.
Among the reliefs sought, El-Rufai is asking the court to declare the search and seizure unlawful, bar the use of any evidence obtained during the operation, and compel authorities to return all items taken from his residence.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, his counsel, Mr. Ugochukwu Nnakwu, successfully applied to remove a Chief Magistrate initially listed as a defendant in the suit after the court noted improper identification. The application was not opposed by the respondents, including the ICPC, the police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.