The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday refused to hear the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing the request as premature. The case was adjourned to April 23, 2026.
Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik, who delivered the ruling, declined to allow El-Rufai’s legal team to move the bail application during the session. According to a lawyer present in court, the judge held that the application was immature and stated that the former governor must first be properly arraigned before the court.
El-Rufai was absent from the proceedings as he remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Several chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including Bolaji Abdullahi, were in court to observe the proceedings.
The development comes amid mounting legal disputes between El-Rufai and federal anti-corruption agencies. He previously filed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the ICPC and other respondents, challenging what his legal team described as an unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.
According to court filings, operatives of the ICPC, accompanied by police officers, allegedly conducted a search at his residence on Aso Drive, Abuja, using what his lawyers claim was a defective warrant lacking specific details of items to be seized.
His camp has also raised concerns about his continued detention and alleged treatment in custody, including claims of restricted access to family and legal representatives. The legal team maintains that no valid remand order has been presented to justify detention beyond constitutionally permitted limits.
With Wednesday’s ruling, the court is expected to formally arraign El-Rufai when proceedings resume on April 23, as the legal battle between the former governor and federal authorities continues to unfold.