Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted temporary bail from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on compassionate grounds.
The development, confirmed by a close aide, is to enable him attend the funeral rites of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who reportedly passed away in Cairo, Egypt.
According to the aide, the anti-graft agency approved the temporary release following the family’s bereavement.
Reacting to the development, his son, Bashir El-Rufai, announced the release in a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, expressing gratitude to supporters while criticising the circumstances surrounding his father’s detention.
“My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention… Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais,” he wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has yet to issue an official statement detailing the terms of the temporary bail or the next steps in its ongoing investigation.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since last month and is currently facing multiple high-profile legal cases across different courts in Nigeria.
Earlier this month, the ICPC arraigned him alongside co-defendant Joel Adoga at the Federal High Court in Kaduna over allegations bordering on financial misconduct, including the conversion and possession of public property as well as money laundering.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which is linked to deposits into domiciliary accounts and the handling of earnings. The court adjourned ruling on his bail application, ordering that he remain in custody pending further proceedings.
In a separate case before the Kaduna State High Court, the ICPC filed additional charges against the former governor and another defendant, Amadu Sule.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has instituted a three-count charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case centres on allegations that he unlawfully intercepted communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in violation of the Cybercrimes Act.
His arraignment in the matter has been scheduled for later this year after earlier delays due to his detention.
In response to the legal actions, El-Rufai has filed multiple counter-suits challenging the conduct of security agencies.
In one suit, he is seeking ₦1 billion in damages against the ICPC and other agencies over a raid on his Abuja residence, which he described as unlawful. He is also asking the court to invalidate the search warrant and bar the use of any evidence obtained during the operation.
In a separate action against the DSS, he is demanding ₦2 billion in damages while urging the court to dismiss the wiretapping charges, which he claims amount to unconstitutional harassment.
The legal troubles began last month when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initially detained the former governor over an alleged ₦423 billion misappropriation.
Although he was granted administrative bail by the EFCC, he was subsequently re-arrested by the ICPC shortly after his release.
His recent arraignment in Kaduna marked a significant development in the unfolding legal battle, though journalists were barred from covering the courtroom proceeding.
