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, over allegations of fraud, abuse of office, and corruption.
Counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang, disclosed this to journalists after proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court on Monday.
Abang stated that the prosecution amended the charges, dropping one of the earlier defendants and leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant in the case.
At the resumed hearing, the court took the plea of the former governor and also heard his bail application, but proceedings could not continue as the defence said it had just received the amended charges.
“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,” Abang said.
He added that the defence team would review the amended charges before taking further legal steps.
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The court subsequently adjourned the case to April 14 for ruling on the bail application.
In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the anti-graft agency accused El-Rufai of multiple offences during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.
The ICPC alleged that in 2016, he induced the state government to confer a benefit of N11 billion on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was allegedly not executed.
Other counts claim that he approved and received severance benefits amounting to about N289.8 million, exceeding the legally approved N20 million.
The prosecution further alleged that he disposed of over $1 million, reportedly part of a World Bank loan to the state, in violation of the loan agreement.
Additional charges include alleged conspiracy to induce federal investigators, violations of procurement laws in the award of a multi-billion-naira CCTV contract, conferring undue advantage on associates, and unlawful land allocations.
El-Rufai had earlier been arraigned alongside a businessman, Amadu Sule, before Justice Darius Khobo on similar allegations.
The former governor was held in ICPC custody from February 19 until March 28, when he was temporarily released on compassionate grounds to attend his mother’s burial.
