Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday took former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, into custody shortly after proceedings at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
El-Rufai, who is facing corruption charges, had just concluded a hearing on his bail application when he was escorted into a waiting vehicle and driven away, reportedly to Abuja.
Security presence around the court had been unusually tight before the hearing, raising speculation that the former governor might be detained. He had arrived at the court around 9:05 a.m. in a Hilux van, drawing attention from both security operatives and observers.
Speaking after the session, lead defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), confirmed that the court fixed April 14 for ruling on the bail application.
“The bail application was argued and responded to, and the ruling has been fixed for April 14,” he said. “We look forward to that day. We are hopeful. We have put our arguments before the court, and this is a court of justice. We await the decision.”
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Iyamu also disclosed that the defence team is preparing for another case involving El-Rufai scheduled for April 10 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, describing it as a separate matter.
The development followed Tuesday’s adjournment, during which a motion seeking the recusal of the presiding judge, Rilwan M. Aikawa, briefly stalled proceedings before it was later withdrawn.
Earlier, El-Rufai had been arraigned at the Kaduna State High Court alongside Amadu Sule on separate charges including abuse of office, fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
