Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai appeared before a Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday for a bail hearing regarding corruption charges filed by the ICPC, following a brief compassionate release to bury his mother.
Immediate-past Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the State High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, for the hearing of his bail application before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa. El-Rufai is facing several corruption charges preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The former governor, who arrived at the court premises in a white Toyota Hilux around 9:00 a.m., was escorted by minimal security operatives. This court appearance follows his initial arraignment on March 24, 2026, after which he was remanded in ICPC custody pending the adjournment to this Tuesday for the determination of his bail.
The proceedings come at a time of personal grief for the embattled politician, who lost his mother, Hajiya Ummah El-Rufai, last Friday in Cairo, Egypt. Following her passing, the ICPC had granted El-Rufai administrative bail on compassionate grounds to allow him to participate in the funeral rites. Reports indicate that his mother was buried on Sunday in Abuja, with the traditional three-day fidda’u prayers concluding on Monday. Despite the temporary release for the burial, the former governor was required to return to court to face the substantive legal challenges regarding his tenure in office.
Security was visibly tight around the court vicinity on Tuesday morning, with operatives deployed along the busy Ungwan Sarki-Kawo Expressway to avert any potential breakdown of law and order. Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere remained somber as legal teams prepared to argue for the permanent release of the former governor on bail. While the ICPC has yet to release the full specifics of the alleged financial misappropriation, the high-profile nature of the case has drawn significant attention to the Kaduna judiciary. As of midday Tuesday, Justice Aikawa is expected to deliver a ruling on whether El-Rufai will remain in custody or be allowed to return home pending the commencement of his trial.
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