THE counsel to former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), on Wednesday apologised to the Kaduna State High Court and sought permission to withdraw three applications earlier filed by the defendant’s legal team in the ongoing corruption case instituted against the former governor by the Federal Government.
News Point Nigeria exclusively gathered that Erokoro, who recently took over El-Rufai’s defence, also informed the court that he had filed a fresh application in the matter and requested more time to properly present it before Justice Darius Khobo.
The latest development came as the Federal Government accused the former governor’s legal team of frustrating the commencement of trial through a series of applications, even as prosecutors insisted they were fully prepared to proceed with the case.
As proceedings continued before Justice Khobo, Erokoro admitted that the pending applications filed by El-Rufai’s previous legal team were “combative in nature.”
While apologising for troubling the court, the senior lawyer said he could not adopt some of the language contained in the applications that had earlier been filed on behalf of his client.
Erokoro explained that after taking over the case, he painstakingly reviewed all the pending motions and concluded that a fresh application had become necessary because of the confrontational tone of the earlier filings.
He subsequently sought the court’s permission to discontinue the three pending applications and pleaded for additional time to file and argue a new motion.
Shortly after the court session, one of the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Muktar, told journalists that two additional applications had been filed between the last adjourned date and Wednesday’s proceedings, all seeking the recusal of the trial judge.
Muktar criticised the filing of fresh applications by El-Rufai’s new counsel, describing the move as another tactic aimed at delaying the trial.
According to him, the prosecution had assembled its witnesses and was ready to proceed with the hearing as far back as July 6, but the defence team had continued to file multiple applications.
“Charge has been filed, prosecution is ready, defence is bringing multiple applications and that is what is destroying the time, frustrating the prosecution from commencing the trial. We would have gone far if not because of these applications,” Muktar said.
He added: “The matter came up on the 6th of July for hearing with all the witnesses ready; however, the defence counsel filed an application with other series of applications aimed at frustrating the trial.”
Court documents also exclusively obtained by News Point Nigeria show that the Federal Government, in an amended charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, levelled nine counts against El-Rufai, ranging from alleged fraud and abuse of office to criminal breach of trust and procurement violations.
According to the proposed amended charge filed before the Kaduna State High Court, the Federal Government accused El-Rufai of inducing the Kaduna State Government to confer a benefit of N11 billion on Indokaduna Mrts JV Nigeria Limited, described as an unregistered entity, for the construction of a light rail project that was allegedly never executed.
The charge alleged that the transaction, which reportedly occurred in December 2016 during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, violated provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The prosecution also accused the former governor of unlawfully approving and receiving N289.8 million as severance allowance in September 2020 and January 2023, despite allegedly being entitled to only N20 million, representing 300 per cent of his annual basic salary.
In another count, El-Rufai was accused of dishonestly disposing of $1.085 million, said to be part of a World Bank loan obtained by the Kaduna State Government, between March and November 2022.
The Federal Government further alleged that El-Rufai and his son, Bashir Ahmad El-Rufai, who is currently said to be at large, conspired in October 2025 in Dubai and Cairo to offer financial inducements to investigators handling an ongoing probe involving Singularity Network Security Limited.
The amended charge equally accused the former governor of violating Kaduna State procurement laws in the award of a N4.61 billion contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design and installation of CCTV cameras in Kaduna metropolis.
The prosecution further alleged that El-Rufai used his office to confer unfair advantage on Singularity Network Security Limited by awarding the same contract valued at $22.475 million.
The charge sheet also contained allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully revoked a parcel of land covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. KDL 86593, located along the Kaduna-Zaria Express Bypass and belonging to one Muhammed Umar Karage, before reallocating it to companies linked to his associate, Amadu Sule.
According to the Federal Government, the alleged actions amount to criminal breach of trust and abuse of office under the Kaduna State Penal Code Law and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
The prosecution team, led by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), includes Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department, Ngozi Onwuka and Dr. Akogwu Agada.
Following Erokoro’s request for additional time to file and argue a fresh application, Justice Khobo adjourned the matter until July 22, 2026, for hearing.