NIGERIA: El-Rufai Arrives Kaduna Court Under Heavy Security

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday morning under tight security as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) formally charged him with corruption-related offences.

El-Rufai arrived at the court premises around 9:00 a.m. in a Hilux vehicle and remained inside for over 30 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom at approximately 9:34 a.m. Dressed in a light green babanriga with a matching cap, he was surrounded by a heavy security cordon comprising operatives of the ICPC, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Security was significantly beefed up around the court located at the old Nigerian Defence Academy, with vehicular movement restricted to a single lane from the Ungwan Sarki axis through Kawo, causing heavy traffic disruption in the area.

The ICPC is prosecuting El-Rufai alongside one Joel Adoga in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026 on charges ranging from conversion and possession of public property to money laundering. A separate charge, marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, has also been filed against him and one Amadu Sule (LEDA) at the Kaduna State High Court, bordering on abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.

The ICPC had announced on Monday that both charges were filed on March 18, 2026, and confirmed that El-Rufai had been duly served. The date for his arraignment at the State High Court is expected to be communicated later by the court.

El-Rufai was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, granted bail on February 18, and later re-arrested by the ICPC.

The development has continued to generate intense public debate and political reactions acro

ss the country.