Nigeria court defers ruling on ex-governor El-Rufai's bail to July 2026

A Kaduna court has postponed a decision on bail for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his co-defendant, Jimi Lawal, pushing the ruling to July 1, 2026. The pair face corruption charges brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging abuse of office, financial impropriety, and money laundering during El-Rufai's tenure from 2015 to 2023.

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El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to Count One, while Lawal pleaded not guilty to Counts Six, Seven and Eight.

Appearing before the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, El-Rufai and Lawal were arraigned on an amended 11-count charge. El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to the first count, while Lawal denied counts related to his alleged involvement. Several corporate entities are also standing trial as defendants in this matter. The court heard arguments on pending bail applications before adjourning for the ruling.

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El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that actions taken during his administration were lawful and in the public interest.

In a related development, El-Rufai also appeared before the Kaduna State High Court for another ICPC case concerning allegations of abuse of office and money laundering. Justice Darius Khobo adjourned this hearing to June 29, 2026. El-Rufai has consistently denied the allegations, asserting his administration acted lawfully and in the public interest. The ICPC, however, claims investigations revealed irregularities in fund handling and contract awards, leading to alleged diversion of public resources. Previous bail conditions granted in April 2026 included a N200 million bond with specific surety requirements.

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The ICPC, however, alleged that investigations uncovered irregularities in the handling of government funds and the award of contracts, resulting in the alleged diversion and misapplication of public resources.