The Federal High Court in Kaduna has adjourned proceedings on the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to March 31.
The decision was made by Justice Rilwanu Aikawa after hearing submissions from both the defence and the prosecution on Tuesday.
El-Rufai is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 10-count charge involving alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds.
He has denied all the allegations.
During the hearing, defence counsel Ukpong Akpan urged the court to grant bail, arguing that his client needs freedom to adequately prepare for trial
However, the prosecution, represented by Osuobeni Akponimisingha opposed the request, insisting that granting bail at this stage could affect ongoing investigations.
After considering both arguments, the court ordered that the former governor remain in ICPC custody pending the next hearing.
Speaking to journalists, defence lawyer Ubong Akpan said the case revolves mainly around financial transactions, including deposits into his client’s foreign currency account.
According to the ICPC, El-Rufai allegedly received about ₦289.8 million in severance payments—far exceeding the approved amount.
The agency also accused him of receiving multiple foreign currency deposits between 2016 and 2023, which it claims were proceeds of unlawful activities.
In one of the charges, El-Rufai is alleged to have conspired with an associate, Joel Adoga, to conceal the source of a $10,000 transaction.
The former governor has been in custody since February 19 after being transferred from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the ICPC.
