News, Politics

El-Rufai Faces Court in Kaduna Amid Tight Security, Journalists Denied Courtroom Access

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 24th, 2026.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday under tight security for alleged corruption-related offences. According to The Punch, El-Rufai arrived at the court premises around 9:00 a.m. in a Hilux vehicle and spent over 30 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom at 9:34 a.m.

Dressed in a light green babanriga with a matching cap, El-Rufai was heavily guarded by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). Journalists who had arrived from as early as 7:00 a.m. were barred from entering the courtroom, as reported by The Guardian, prompting criticism from media representatives covering the proceedings.

Security around the court, located at the old Nigerian Defence Academy, was reinforced with personnel from the DSS, Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Traffic was restricted along the Ungwan Sarki to Kawo route, causing significant congestion.

The ICPC confirmed that El-Rufai would be arraigned alongside Joel Adoga in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026, facing charges of alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering. In a separate case filed before a Kaduna State High Court, numbered KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, El-Rufai and Amadu Sule are accused of abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage, according to Daily Trust. Both charges were filed on March 18, 2026, with the state court arraignment date to be announced later.

The arraignment follows mounting pressure from political stakeholders. The African Democratic Congress had called for either the release or formal arraignment of the former governor, citing constitutional concerns over his prolonged detention. Similarly, Muslim Rights Concern and members of El-Rufai’s family had expressed concern about alleged violations of his rights, as reported by The Nation.

El-Rufai was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16, 2026, granted bail on February 18, and subsequently taken into ICPC custody, where he has remained pending court proceedings, according to The Punch.