El-Rufai Returns to Court as Co-Defendant Absences

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai appeared before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Monday, June 22, 2026, for the continuation of corruption proceedings filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, as the trial faces repeated delays caused by the failure of co-defendants to appear in court.

El-Rufai arrived at the court premises at approximately 9:30 a.m. under heavy security, accompanied by ICPC officials, DSS operatives, and police personnel. The hearing, which drew significant public attention including supporters, political associates, lawyers, and journalists gathered around the complex, could not proceed as scheduled because two other defendants in the case failed to appear before the presiding judge.

Case Adjourned to June 28

The judge adjourned the matter to June 28, 2026, for the continuation of the trial. The latest development follows a pattern of delays that have slowed the proceedings since the ICPC formally filed charges earlier in 2026. El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that he acted within the bounds of the law throughout his eight-year tenure as Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.

The ICPC is prosecuting El-Rufai in separate proceedings before both the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court on charges bordering on alleged abuse of office, financial impropriety, fraud, unlawful possession of public funds, and money laundering. Prosecutors alleged that El-Rufai unlawfully received severance benefits of over N579 million, significantly above the prescribed legal limit, and that substantial foreign currency sums passed through accounts linked to him.

Women Groups Demand Rights Respect

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Women Societies and Associations in Kaduna State demanded respect for El-Rufai’s constitutional rights, expressing concern about what they described as political persecution. Civil society groups monitoring the case said the pattern of co-defendant absences risked allowing a high-profile case to drag on indefinitely. Furthermore, analysts noted that the outcome of the El-Rufai trial would set an important precedent for how former governors face accountability for their conduct in office. Consequently, the case remains one of the most closely watched anti-corruption proceedings in Nigeria in 2026.