FORMER Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has arrived at the Kaduna State High Court for the continuation of his alleged corruption trial instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), following a directive by the presiding judge that he be produced in court for the resumed hearing.
News Point Nigeria reports that El-Rufai arrived at the court at about 11:59 a.m. on Tuesday, accompanied by the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Isah Ashiru, amid tight security, ahead of proceedings on the substantive trial.
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The former governor’s appearance followed an order by the presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, directing the anti-corruption agency to produce him in court for the resumed hearing.
The case was adjourned on Monday after El-Rufai failed to appear in court following information that he had requested to consult his personal medical doctor to review his medical test results.
At Monday’s sitting, ICPC lead counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, told the court that the prosecution had expected El-Rufai to be present despite a request by the lead defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), for an adjournment to enable him to attend the swearing-in ceremony of a new set of Senior Advocates of Nigeria at the Supreme Court.
Adedipe explained that he had communicated with the defence over the scheduling of the proceedings and agreed to an adjournment for Monday, while proposing that the case continue on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s proceedings are expected to advance the substantive trial, which involves allegations of corruption and other financial offences linked to transactions and decisions during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
The resumed hearing comes days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai’s appeal challenging the refusal of bail by the state high court.
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In its judgment delivered on October 9, a three-member panel unanimously held that the former governor had failed to establish fresh facts or special circumstances warranting interference with the lower court’s decision.
The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, affirmed the ruling of the Kaduna State High Court, which had refused El-Rufai’s second bail application on June 10.
The appellate court also struck out a reply brief filed by the appellant on September 29, describing it as incompetent, and resolved the issue before it against El-Rufai.
During the appeal, Erokoro argued that the offences against his client were bailable and did not attract the death penalty. He maintained that continued detention was affecting the former governor’s ability to prepare adequately for his defence.
The defence also argued that detention made access to lawyers and witnesses difficult and could affect confidential communication between the defendant and his legal team.
The ICPC opposed the appeal, insisting that the trial court had exercised its discretion appropriately and that El-Rufai had not established sufficient grounds for the appellate court to overturn the decision.
The Court of Appeal, however, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
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El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026. Tuesday’s proceedings followed a series of adjournments and legal applications that have delayed the progress of the case.
The resumed hearing is expected to determine the next stage of proceedings in the corruption trial as the former governor continues to challenge aspects of the legal process against him.
