A Kaduna State High Court has rejected the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, ordering that he remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai’s bail application “lacked merit,” according to Justice Dirisu Khobo’s ruling on Monday. The former governor did not present enough evidence to support the court’s decision to give him bail.
The judge determined that the application lacked “reliable evidence and convincing documents” to support the bail request.
The court further held that the defence failed to establish any “exceptional circumstances” that would warrant his release while the trial is still ongoing.
However, despite denying bail request, the court instructed the ICPC to give El-Rufai unlimited access to his medical team or any medical facility of his choice within Nigeria for treatment while in custody.
Additionally, judge Khobo ordered that the former governor remain in ICPC custody and adjourned the case until July 7 and 8 for the continuation of the hearing.
Recall that the former Kaduna state governor is facing a nine-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and related offences.
Nasir El-Rufai may remain in custody until after the election
Amid the trial and allegations facing the former Kaduna state governor, Reuben Abati, veteran journalist and former presidential aide, has suggested he may remain in custody until after the election, pointing to both political and legal factors surrounding the case.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Abati described the bail terms as tough, noting that the court had refused to review them despite claims that the former governor could not meet one of the key requirements.
According to Abati, one of the bail conditions requires the former governor to present a Level 17 official from the Federal Capital Territory as surety, a condition he reportedly said he could not fulfil.
Read Also: ICPC drags Nasir El-Rufai, six others to court over alleged N8.68bn CCTV contract fraud
Backstory…
He was first arraigned on March 18, 2026, alongside the Managing Director of TMDK Terminal Limited, Amadu Sule.
The ICPC initially filed a 10-count charge against the defendants, accusing them of alleged abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
However, in recent development, Nasir El-Rufai, has file a no-case submission in his ongoing wiretapping trial after the Department of State Services (DSS) closed its case against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
The case has also taken a new twist as just few days ago, the ICPC arraigned the former Kaduna governor before the Federal High Court in Kaduna over an alleged N8.68 billion fraud linked to a CCTV surveillance contract.
Read Also: Bail should not be turned into pre-conviction punishment — Atiku
