Alleged Graft: Court Adjourns El-Rufai’s Bail Hearing To Wednesday

The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to Wednesday.

The adjournment came after proceedings held under heavy security presence on Tuesday, underscoring the heightened public attention surrounding the high-profile corruption case.

Counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Akpan, confirmed the development shortly after the sitting but declined to provide further details.

“I’m sorry, I can’t talk now, we are in the middle of work. I have to go and file responses. The hearing of the bail application has been adjourned till tomorrow,” he said.

El-Rufai is currently facing trial before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged conversion, unlawful possession of public property, and money laundering.

He was brought before the court after spending over a month in detention, a development that has continued to attract national attention.

The court had earlier scheduled March 31, 2026, for the hearing of all pending applications, including his bail request.

However, the anti-graft agency had on March 27, 2026, released him on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.

In a separate development on the same day, the former governor was also arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kawo on different charges.

At the State High Court, he appeared alongside one Amadu Sule over allegations, including abuse of office, fraud, attempted fraud, and conferring undue advantage.

The charges, filed by the anti-corruption commission at the State High Court were distinct from the matter currently before the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

With the adjournment, the hearing on the bail application is expected to resume on Wednesday.