Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is set to be arraigned on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Kaduna over allegations of converting and possessing public assets as well as money laundering, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced. In a statement shared on X on Monday, ICPC spokesperson John Odey said Mr El-Rufai and Joel Adoga will appear before the court in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026. The commission also disclosed that it filed a separate case marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26 at the Kaduna State High Court against Mr El-Rufai and another defendant, Amadu Sule.
Odey said the charges in the state high court case include abuse of office, fraud, attempted fraud and conferring undue advantage, among others. He added that both cases were instituted on 18 March, while the state high court will communicate its arraignment date. The ICPC stated that Mr El-Rufai, who has been in its custody for about a month, has received the charge sheets and stressed that its actions follow due process and the rule of law. The planned arraignment comes as the former governor faces several investigations and legal proceedings.
According to the commission, it rearrested him on 18 February shortly after his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had detained him for two days over corruption allegations. He has remained in ICPC custody since then.Earlier this month, Premium Times reported that the ICPC told a court it was holding Mr El-Rufai to complete its investigation. The explanation was contained in court documents filed in opposition to a lawsuit he brought at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he argued that his arrest and detention violated his fundamental rights and sought N1 billion in damages.
In response, the ICPC said its probe began after a petition accused Mr El-Rufai and members of his administration of financial misconduct between 2015 and 2023. The petition reportedly involved claims concerning loans secured by the Kaduna State Government, procurement procedures, transfers from official accounts and payments made to companies and individuals. The commission said it carried out preliminary inquiries, obtained records from banks and government agencies and later issued an invitation letter dated 9 February.
Separately, Mr El-Rufai is also being prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS) over alleged phone-tapping claims involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled 23 April for his arraignment in that matter.The former governor has challenged several actions taken against him, including a search of his Abuja residence which he described as unlawful.
He also filed a N1 billion lawsuit against the ICPC, the Nigeria Police Force and others, asking the court to void the search warrant and prevent authorities from relying on materials recovered during the operation. Both the ICPC and the police opposed the suit, insisting that the search was conducted legally under a valid court order. Mr El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February following his release by the EFCC. He denies all allegations and maintains that the investigations are politically driven. His lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also claimed that the anti-corruption agency was attempting to link his client to overseas properties using unverified claims — an allegation the ICPC has yet to publicly address.
Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/
