Court Reserves Ruling on El-Rufai’s Bail Request

A Federal High Court in Kaduna has postponed its decision on the bail applications filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his co-defendant, Jimi Lawal, in an ongoing ICPC corruption case.

Justice Hauwa’u Buhari fixed July 1, 2026, for the ruling after listening to arguments from both the prosecution and defence teams during proceedings on Wednesday.

Nasir El-Rufai, Lawal and five companies are currently facing an amended 11-count charge brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The charges include alleged abuse of office, financial misconduct and money laundering.

Both defendants have denied all allegations and entered not guilty pleas.

During the hearing, members of the defence team informed the court that applications seeking bail for the defendants had already been filed and urged the judge to consider them. Following submissions from both sides, the court reserved its decision until the scheduled date.

The high-profile proceedings attracted significant attention, with Nasir El-Rufai arriving at the court under tight security.

Earlier the same day, the former governor also appeared before a Kaduna State High Court in a separate ICPC corruption case connected to allegations of abuse of office and money laundering during his administration between 2015 and 2023.

That matter was adjourned until June 29, 2026, for further hearing.

According to the ICPC, investigations uncovered alleged irregularities involving the management of public funds and the award of government contracts during the period under review.

However, Nasir El-Rufai and the other defendants maintain their innocence and insist they have committed no wrongdoing.

The upcoming ruling on the El-Rufai bail application is expected to determine whether the former governor and his co-defendant will remain free while the ICPC corruption case continues before the court.