Tight security as El-Rufai appears in court over alleged money laundering

2026-03-24 - 09:34

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday appeared before a Federal High Court in Kaduna for arraignment over alleged corruption offences. El-Rufai is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission alongside one Joel Adoga. The charges against him include alleged abuse of office, fraud, money laundering, and conversion of public property. A separate case has also been filed at the Kaduna State High Court. The former governor was brought into the courtroom at about 9:31 a.m. under heavy security escort and was earlier sighted in a white van guarded by operatives of the Department of State Services. Security was heightened in and around the court premises, with personnel of the police and civil defence corps deployed to maintain order. This marks El-Rufai’s first public appearance since his arrest in February, following investigations involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the ICPC. He has remained in ICPC custody since February 19 after being released by the EFCC.