From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Security was tight around the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday as former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was set to be arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on corruption-related charges.
Heavily armed personnel from various agencies, including the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Mobile Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were deployed at strategic points along roads leading to the court premises, restricting vehicular movement and causing early-morning traffic disruptions.
The ICPC had announced on Monday that El-Rufai would be arraigned on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, before the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, alongside one Joel Adoga, in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026—the charges border on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.
According to the ICPC, a separate charge, marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, had been filed against El-Rufai and one Amadu Sule before a Kaduna State High Court, with counts including abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.
The commission stated that both charges were filed on March 18, 2026, and that El-Rufai had been duly served. The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to due process and the rule of law.
The arraignment comes amid mounting pressure from stakeholders, including the African Democratic Congress, which had demanded either the immediate release or arraignment of the former governor, describing his continued detention without formal charges as unconstitutional.
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