El-Rufai’s Corruption Trial Stalls as Co-Defendants Fail to Appear in Court

The trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suffered a setback on Monday after two co-defendants failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

El-Rufai, who is facing charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, was present in court for the scheduled proceedings. Security personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services, police officers and ICPC officials, were also at the court premises.

However, the case could not move forward because two other defendants listed in the matter were absent. Their failure to appear prevented the court from commencing the hearing as planned.

Following the development, the presiding judge postponed the matter and fixed June 28, 2026, for the commencement of hearing.

The case centres on allegations of abuse of office, fraud and financial misconduct during El-Rufai’s time as governor of Kaduna State. Prosecutors claim that public funds were released for projects that were either not carried out or were handled in a manner that violated established procedures.

The anti-corruption agency is seeking to prove that some government transactions carried out during the former governor’s administration did not comply with legal and financial regulations.

El-Rufai has repeatedly denied all accusations against him and has maintained that he acted within the law throughout his tenure in office.

The adjournment means the court will now have to wait until the next scheduled date before hearing evidence and arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.

The case has continued to attract public attention due to El-Rufai’s role in national politics and his years of service as governor of Kaduna State.

With the hearing now shifted to June 28, all parties are expected to return to court as the legal process continues.