Court Delays Bail Hearing to April 14
John Sikram of Kaduna
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, on Monday at the state High Court, facing nine new charges related to abuse of office and corruption.
El-Rufai arrived at the court amidst heightened security, with access to the courtroom tightly controlled, resulting in the exclusion of journalists from witnessing the trial.
Initially, the charges included a co-defendant, Amadou Sule. However, prosecutors later amended the charges, removing Sule’s name due to reported health issues that required treatment at a facility run by security agencies.
In a post-court interview, El-Rufai’s attorney, Ubon Akpan, confirmed the acceptance of the nine amended charges, noting that the former governor is now facing the charges individually. Akpan mentioned that the court addressed the bail application and recorded El-Rufai’s plea during the session.
However, the trial could not advance, as the defense team received the amended charges while court proceedings were ongoing. “Our legal team will assess the new charges before determining our next steps,” Akpan stated.
Presiding Judge Darius Cobo adjourned the case until Tuesday, April 14, for a hearing on the bail application. According to the amended charges, El-Rufai is accused of authorizing the disbursement of approximately N11 billion from state funds to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was purportedly never executed.
Additionally, the ICPC alleges that El-Rufai approved and accepted about N289.8 million in severance pay, an amount significantly exceeding his legal entitlement, which purportedly conferred an unfair advantage. He is also accused of mismanagement exceeding $1.08 million in World Bank-funded projects, contravening established loan regulations.
Furthermore, the ICPC has claimed that El-Rufai conspired with an associate reportedly on the run, attempting to bribe federal agents to influence an ongoing investigation involving a private company.
Additional charges include the fraudulent awarding of a N4.6 billion closed-circuit television contract in Kaduna City, violations of procurement regulations, and alleged improper benefits to employees through the contract. El-Rufai also faces accusations concerning fraudulent land transactions during his gubernatorial term, including the cancellation and redistribution of land along the Kaduna-Zaria Bypass to affiliated parties.
In a previous meeting, El-Rufai denied all allegations against him.
