Federal High Court grants El-Rufai N200m bail

…as Kaduna High Court adjourns corruption case against El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna with a N200 million bond, just as a separate bail application before the Kaduna State High Court was adjourned to April 21, 2026.

The Federal High Court presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa delivered the ruling on Tuesday, granting the former governor bail with stringent conditions attached.

Read also: El-rufai arrives Kaduna High Court to face ICPC nine-count charges

Under the bail terms, El-Rufai is required to provide a N200 million bond with two sureties. One surety must present a Certificate of Occupancy for landed property, while the second must be a respected elder in Kaduna State to be verified by the Kaduna State Council of Elders.

The court also restricted El-Rufai and his legal team from granting media interviews pending the determination of the trial. He is further required to report to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the first day of every month and surrender his international passport to the court.

Meanwhile, at the Kaduna State High Court, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo, a separate bail application was yet to be determined as the court adjourned the matter to April 21, 2026, for continuation of hearing.

The adjournment means the court is yet to rule on whether or not to grant El-Rufai bail in the separate proceedings before it.

El-Rufai was earlier arraigned by the ICPC on amended nine-count, bordering on alleged advance fee fraud and money laundering, following the separation of his case from that of a co-defendant, Amadu Sule, who was reportedly absent due to medical reasons.

The ICPC subsequently proceeded with the amended charge, allowing El-Rufai to be arraigned independently.

Read also: Alleged Graft: ICPC files fresh Nine-Count charges against El-Rufai

Upon the reading of the charges under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Advance Fee Fraud Act, Kaduna State Penal Code, and Public Procurement Law, the former governor pleaded not guilty.

BusinessDay reports that there was a heavy security presence at the Federal High Court premises during the proceedings with operatives stationed at strategic locations to maintain order.