Heavy security for Kaduna as Nasir El-Rufai plead 'not guilty' for corruption case
Wia dis foto come from, Channels TV
Di Federal High Court for Kaduna, Kaduna State don adjourn di case of di former state guvnor Nasir El-Rufai until March 31 to hear im application for bail.
El-Rufai bin appear bifor di court for Kaduna dis Tuesday to ansa kwesions on top plenty allegations wey di Independent Corrupt Practices and oda related offences Commission (ICPC) sama am.
Dis na di first time El-Rufai go show for court since govment authorities gbab am more dan one month ago.
Security bin tight for di State capital and around di court premises as armed security pipo bin position all ova di place to maintain order as supporters of di former guvnor bin full for road.
BBC News tori pesin see how plenty of El-Rufai supporters bin carry placards dey chant support songs, causing slow traffic along di road.
Reports from inside di courtroom, according to local media, say El-Rufai bin plead not guilty to all di accuse wey di ICPC sama am, and im lawyer Ukpon Akpan ask di court to grant am bail make e get enuf time take prepare im defense.
But di ICPC lawyer oppose di bail application and tell di court say di matter na very serious offences and say di former guvnor fit intefere wit ongoing investigation if court grant am bail.
Di presiding judge adjourn di mata to March 31 for hearing of di bail application.
On monday, di tok-tok pesin for di ICPC, John Odey, release one statement wia e tok say El-Rufai and anoda defendant Joel Adoga, dey accused of converting and possessing public property plus money laundering.
Also, di ICPC file anoda case against El-Rufai for one State High Court for Kaduna, and dis case contain similar charges wit di one of di Federal High Court.
Hia na some of di offences wey di ICPC claim say El-Rufai bin commit and wey di former govnor dey expected to enta im plea for court:
- Fraudulently inducing di Kaduna State govment to pay N11 billion to one Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited, for one light rail project wey dem no eva do. ICPC tok say dis company no even dey registered
- El-Rufai allegedly approve and receive severance payments of N289.8 million on two occasions in 2020 and 2023, wey pass di lawful amount wey e dey entitled. Di legal amount according to di charges na about N20 million.
- Di former govnor dishonestly disposed of $1,085,066.38, wey be part of one World Bank loan, in violation of di loan agreement.
- El-Rufai bin award contracts of billions of naira to one company wey di name na Singularity Network Security Limited. Dis contract include N4.61 billion CCTV project and anoda $22.47 million, and dis contracts according to di ICPC no follow procurement laws.
- Also, El-Rufai togeda wit im son Bashir Ahmad El-Rufai, bin try to offer bribe to federal investigators abroad in oda to compromise ongoing investigation.
For di oda case bifor di State High Court, di ICPC sama El-Rufai and anoda man wey im name na Amadu Sule wit 10-count charge of abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
Dis charge include allegations wey also dey for di Federal High Court case, like di N11 billion light rail project, di N4.61 billion CCTV contract, and di $22.47 million project also awarded for CCTV.
Howeva, di ICPC accuse Amadu Sule say e providing false information to Kaduna State Government in connection wit one land application involving Old Port Trading Limited.
Di commission also accuse both El-Rufai and Sule say dem bin join bodi to revoke one land wey belong to one Mr Mohammed Umar Karage and reallocate am to Sule; dis tin bin hapun betwin 2018 and 2020.
All dis alleged offences dey against di Corrupt Practices and Oda Related Offences Act, 2000; di Advance Fee Fraud and Oda Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; and Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
BBC News Pidgin dey monitor di court proceedings for Kaduna and go dey bring you updates.
EFCC, ICPC, DSS all dey on top El-Rufai mata
Wia dis foto come from, Nasir El-Rufai/X
Rememba say law enforcement bin first gbab El-Rufai wen e present imsef to di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 16 February, 2026, afta dem invite am on top investigation wey dem say dem dey do about im two-year tenure as Kaduna State guvnor.
Di EFCC detain am dat day and e neva regain im freedom again since den, bicos afta dem release am, di ICPC immediately carry am again.
Even di Department of State Services (DSS) also get dia own investigation on top El-Rufai head wey dem don even charge am to court.
Dis case na about di claim wey El-Rufai bin make during on TV interview say pesin bin tap di phone lines of di National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, and di pesin bin provide im (El-Rufai) wit information say na di NSA bin order make DSS arrest am.
Di mata suppose come up on February 25 bifor Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of di Federal High Court Abuja but e no later hold as di DSS lawyer tell di court say di defendant still dey for di custody of di ICPC.
Dis na afta di DSS bin try to arrest El-Rufai for di Abuja Airport as e dey come back from Cairo Egypt.
Nasir El-Rufai na popular politician for Nigeria wey many pipo know say im dey very outspoken. Im and President Bola Tinubu bin dey in very good terms and e campaign well-well for di president during di 2023 general elections.
Howeva, di two later fall out afta Tinubu bin nominate El-Rufai for minister position, but e no gree appear bifor di Nigeria Senate for screening, and so dem disqualify am.
Since den, di former Kaduna guvnor don bicom big critic of di Tinubu administration, e comot from di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and enta di join body opposition party, di Africa Democratic Congress (ADC).
