Federal High Court grants El-Rufai ₦200m bail over alleged ₦11bn Fraud; Kaduna court adjourns bail hearing

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been granted bail in the sum of ₦200 million by the Federal High Court, though he remains in custody pending a separate ruling from the State High Court on April 21.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted bail to the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, following his arraignment on charges of financial misconduct. The court set the bail bond at ₦200 million with two sureties in like sum. Under the specific conditions, one surety must provide a Certificate of Occupancy for a landed property within Kaduna, while the other must be a prominent elder in the state verified by the Kaduna State Council of Elders. Furthermore, the judge imposed a strict gag order, stating that “El-Rufai and his counsel must not grant interviews pending the conclusion of the trial,” and ordered the former governor to surrender his passport and report to the ICPC monthly.

The ruling follows a series of intense legal battles where the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) accused El-Rufai of multiple infractions, including the alleged mismanagement of $1.08 million from a World Bank loan. According to the prosecution’s updated filings, the former governor is also accused of inducing the state government to pay ₦11 billion to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was never executed. “The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court,” El-Rufai’s lead counsel noted during the proceedings, arguing that his client posed no flight risk and was committed to defending his record.+1

Despite the favorable ruling at the Federal High Court, El-Rufai’s release is stalled by a separate proceeding at the Kaduna State High Court. Justice Darius Khobo, presiding over an amended nine-count charge bordering on the inflation of severance allowances and unauthorized fund releases, adjourned the ruling on that bail application to April 21, 2026. Consequently, the former governor will remain in the custody of the ICPC for another week. The dual court appearances on Tuesday were marked by a heavy security presence and restricted movement around the court premises, reflecting the high stakes of the trial involving the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

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