El-Rufai’s bail conditions ‘incredibly difficult’, says Sanusi Lamido

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano, has said that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is being subjected to stringent bail conditions in his ongoing trial by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 19 over allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure as Kaduna governor between 2015 and 2023. He was arraigned on April 13 before a Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.

Speaking to journalists after an event, Sanusi claimed authorities had imposed difficult conditions for the former governor’s release.

“For example, look at what is happening with my brother, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. He is currently in custody, and the requirements for his release are incredibly difficult,” Sanusi said.

“They stated that an emir and a senior government worker must sign his bail.”

His remarks came days after the El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) announced that it had engaged Vanguard Africa, a Washington DC-based advocacy organisation, to lead an international campaign on the former governor’s prosecution.

Beyond the legal case, Sanusi expressed concern over what he described as the declining social and cultural standing of northern Nigeria. He said poverty had long existed in the region but had not diminished the dignity of its people.

“Regarding the north, we all know that poverty has been a long-standing issue here. Yet, despite their poverty, northern people value and respect themselves, leaving everything in the hands of Almighty God,” he said.

“What is troubling the north is not just a lack of money, but the erosion of our culture, the testing of our patience, and the continuous attempt to copy other cultures across this country.”

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also argued that the region no longer enjoys the level of influence it once held in national politics.

“Previously, a northerner was widely accepted to lead the entire nation, but today, northerners are no longer viewed differently from anyone else,” he said.