Court Grants ₦200m Bail to Nasir El-Rufai Amid ICPC Corruption Trial
The Federal High Court has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently facing prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption.
The court fixed the bail at ₦200 million, with two sureties required. According to the ruling, one of the sureties must present a valid Certificate of Occupancy for a landed property, while the other must be a recognised elder in Kaduna State, subject to verification by the Kaduna State Council of Elders.
In addition, the court directed that El-Rufai and his legal team refrain from granting media interviews throughout the duration of the trial. He was also ordered to report to the ICPC on the first day of every month and to deposit his international passport with the court.
The bail ruling followed his earlier appearance before the Kaduna State High Court under tight security, where proceedings continued on a separate but related corruption case also filed by the ICPC. Security presence was significantly heightened around the court premises, reflecting the high public and political interest in the matter, while journalists were denied access to the courtroom.
The case experienced a delay after the prosecution introduced an amended nine-count charge, making El-Rufai the sole defendant after initially including a co-defendant. Defence counsel, Ubong Akpan (SAN), stated that the amended charges were served in court without prior notice, leading to an adjournment.
Justice Darius Khobo had earlier adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application, which has now been granted.
The charges against El-Rufai stem from his tenure as governor and include allegations of approving the release of about N11 billion to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was never executed. The ICPC also alleged that he received about N289.8 million as severance allowance above the legally permitted amount.
Other allegations involve the mismanagement of over $1.08 million from a World Bank loan, the unlawful award of a N4.6 billion CCTV contract in Kaduna metropolis in violation of procurement laws, and an alleged conspiracy to bribe federal investigators.
El-Rufai has denied all allegations.
He is also facing a separate 10-count charge before the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, bordering on alleged money laundering, as well as the conversion and possession of public property.
