The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has fixed July 1, 2026, to deliver its ruling on the bail applications filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his co-defendant, Jimi Lawal, in an ongoing corruption case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
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‎El-Rufai, who appeared before both the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court on Wednesday, is facing allegations linked to abuse of office, money laundering and financial misconduct.
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‎At the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, El-Rufai, Lawal and several corporate entities were arraigned on an amended 11-count charge. While El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to one of the counts, Lawal denied charges brought against him, and a corporate firm, Singularity Network Security Limited, also entered pleas on multiple counts.
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‎Following submissions by counsel for both the defence and prosecution on pending bail requests, Justice Buhari reserved ruling on the applications until July 1.
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‎The former governor arrived at the court premises under tight security as proceedings resumed in the closely watched trial.
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‎In a separate but related matter before the Kaduna State High Court, El-Rufai also appeared before Justice Darius Khobo over allegations of abuse of office and money laundering said to have occurred during his administration between 2015 and 2023.
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‎The court adjourned that case until June 29, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
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‎The ICPC alleges that investigations uncovered irregularities involving the management of public funds and contract awards, leading to the diversion and misuse of government resources. El-Rufai has consistently denied the allegations, insisting that decisions taken during his tenure as governor were lawful and aimed at serving the public interest.
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‎The former governor was earlier granted bail in April 2026 on conditions that included a N200 million bond and two sureties. However, an application seeking a review of those conditions was subsequently rejected by the court.
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