The Kaduna State High Court has postponed the bail hearing of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June 2026, extending the uncertainty surrounding his request for pre-trial release.
Trial judge, Darius Khobo, announced the adjournment on Tuesday as El-Rufai appeared in court, accompanied by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services.
El-Rufai’s counsel, Ukpon Akpan, expressed frustration with the repeated adjournments after the court session, describing the pattern as politically motivated and calling it a deliberate obstruction of his client’s right to a timely hearing.
The Kaduna State High Court has postponed the bail hearing of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June 2026, extending the uncertainty over his bid for pre-trial release.
The trial judge, Darius Khobo, announced the adjournment on Tuesday as El-Rufai appeared in court alongside operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services.
El-Rufai’s counsel, Ukpon Akpan, criticised the repeated delays, describing them as politically motivated and a deliberate attempt to frustrate his client’s right to a timely hearing.
The latest adjournment follows an earlier decision by Judge Khobo on April 14 to reserve ruling on the bail application until April 21, only for the matter to be further shifted to June.
El-Rufai was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court on April 13 by the ICPC on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office. A co-defendant, Amadu Sule, was dropped from the revised charge.
In a separate case at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, the former minister was granted bail of ₦200 million by Rilwanu Aikawa.
He has remained in ICPC custody since February 19, following his earlier release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He was briefly allowed out on March 27 on compassionate grounds to attend his mother’s burial before being returned to custody.
