The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an amended nine-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of fraud, abuse of office, and corruption.
Speaking with journalists after proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court on Monday, counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang, said the prosecution had withdrawn one of the earlier defendants, leaving El-Rufai as the sole accused in the case.
He added that although the court proceeded to take the former governor’s plea and considered his bail application, the defence was unable to move forward because the amended charges were only served on the same day.
According to him, “The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed to a hearing.”
He explained that the defence would analyse the charges before taking further steps. The court adjourned the case to Tuesday, April 14, for a ruling on the bail application.
In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the ICPC alleges that El-Rufai committed multiple offences during his tenure as governor, including alleged N11 billion rail fraud and a $1 million loan breach.
The former governor is accused of inducing the Kaduna State Government in 2016 to confer a benefit of N11 billion on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was allegedly never executed.
In the second and third counts, it is alleged that he used his office to approve and receive severance benefits of about N289.8 million, far above the legally approved N20 million.
On the fourth count, he is also alleged to have dishonestly disposed of over $1 million, part of a World Bank loan to Kaduna State, in violation of the loan agreement.
El-Rufai is further accused of conspiring with others still at large to offer inducements to federal investigators in a bid to compromise an ongoing probe.
He is also alleged to have violated procurement laws in a multi-billion-naira CCTV contract, conferred undue advantage on associates, and carried out unlawful land allocations.
The ICPC had previously arraigned El-Rufai alongside businessman Amadu Sule before Justice Darius Khobo on allegations of abuse of office, fraud and granting undue advantage.
The former governor had been in ICPC custody from February 19 until March 28, when he was released on compassionate grounds to attend his mother’s burial.
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