Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted temporary bail from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to attend the funeral of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
Family sources confirmed that the ICPC approved his release on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother in Cairo on Friday.
Reacting to the development, his son, Bashir El-Rufai, announced the release in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude to supporters, while strongly criticising the circumstances surrounding his father’s detention.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has not issued an official statement detailing the conditions of the temporary bail or the next steps in its ongoing investigation.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18 and is currently facing multiple legal cases involving allegations of financial misconduct, money laundering, and national security breaches.
He has however, denied all charges.
On March 24, the anti-corruption agency arraigned him alongside co-defendant, Joel Adoga at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on charges including alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.
He pleaded not guilty, and the court adjourned ruling on his bail application to March 31, 2026.
In a separate case, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges against the former governor at the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging unlawful interception of communications linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
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His arraignment is scheduled for April 23, 2026.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has filed multiple counter-suits against the authorities, seeking damages over what he describes as unlawful actions, including a raid on his Abuja residence and alleged violations of his rights.
The legal battles stem from earlier actions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which initially detained him on February 16 over an alleged ₦423 billion misappropriation.
Although he was granted administrative bail, he was subsequently re-arrested by the ICPC.
