The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an amended nine-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleging fraud, abuse of office and corruption.
Counsel for the former governor, Ukpong Abang, told journalists after proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court on Monday that the prosecution had dropped one of the earlier defendants, leaving El-Rufai as the sole accused.
The court took the former governor’s plea and heard his bail application. However, Mr Abang said the defence could not proceed because the amended charges were served only that morning.
“The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed to a hearing,” he said.
The defence will analyse the charges before taking further steps. The court adjourned the case to Tuesday, April 14, for ruling on the bail application.
Allegations of N11bn rail fraud, $1m loan breach
In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the ICPC alleges that El-Rufai committed multiple offences during his tenure as governor.
Count One accuses him of inducing the Kaduna State Government in 2016 to confer a benefit of N11bn on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project allegedly never executed.
Counts Two and Three allege he used his office to approve and receive severance benefits of about N289.8m – far above the legally approved N20m.
Count Four claims he dishonestly disposed of over $1m, part of a World Bank loan to Kaduna State, in violation of the loan agreement.
Count Five accuses him of conspiring with others still at large to offer inducement to federal investigators in a bid to compromise an ongoing probe.
Other counts relate to alleged procurement law violations in a multi-billion-naira CCTV contract, conferring undue advantage on associates, and unlawful land allocations.
Background
The ICPC had previously arraigned El-Rufai alongside businessman Amadu Sule before Justice Darius Khobo on allegations of abuse of office, fraud and granting undue advantage. The former governor had been in ICPC custody from February 19 until March 28, when he was released on compassionate grounds to attend his mother’s burial.
