Former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai Faces Serious Legal Challenges
In a significant legal development, former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has arrived at the Kaduna State High Court to address a bail application concerning nine charges filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai was arraigned on a revised nine-count charge that includes allegations of fraud and abuse of office. Notably, journalists were barred from entering the courtroom, limiting public access to the proceedings.
According to sources within the court, earlier charges included both El-Rufai and Amadu Sule; however, Sule has been removed from the latest amended charges, leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant. This adjustment was confirmed by defense counsel, Ubong Akpan (SAN), who spoke to media representatives post-session.
Akpan indicated that the prosecution's decision to amend the charges on the day of the court session left the defense team unprepared to proceed. He remarked, “The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed.” He assured that his team would thoroughly analyze the charges before articulating their position.
The presiding judge, Darius Khobo, subsequently adjourned the matter until April 14, when the court will hear El-Rufai's bail application.
Details concerning the amended charges reveal serious allegations against El-Rufai, including:
- Inducing the Kaduna State Government to approve approximately N11 billion for an unregistered entity related to a non-executed light rail project.
- Illegally approving and receiving about N289.8 million as severance allowance, far exceeding the legally permissible amount of roughly N20 million.
- Mismanaging over $1.08 million from a World Bank loan intended for the state, in breach of the loan agreements.
- Conspiring to offer monetary gratification to federal investigators to compromise an ongoing investigation related to a private firm.
- Illegally awarding a N4.6 billion CCTV contract without adhering to procurement laws, which included bestowing undue advantage on an associate associated with the deal.
El-Rufai has firmly denied all allegations brought against him. The case is poised to advance with the upcoming hearing for his bail application, and he is also expected to face additional charges at the Federal High Court filed by the ICPC.