Nasir El-Rufai, the former Kaduna State governor, must wait for the Court of Appeal to decide whether he can go free on bail. The court heard his appeal on Tuesday in Kaduna. It has not said when it will rule.
El-Rufai is challenging a Kaduna State High Court decision that turned down his request for bail. He is in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is prosecuting him.
Why His Lawyer Wants Him Freed
Paul Erokoro, SAN, argued for El-Rufai. He said the charges against his client do not carry the death penalty. In his view, that makes bail a right under the constitution.
Erokoro also raised a practical concern. Being held by the ICPC, he said, limits El-Rufai’s contact with his lawyers and witnesses. That makes it hard to build a defence. Private conversations with his legal team could also be at risk.
The senior lawyer described El-Rufai as a leading opposition figure. He said the timing of the charges, close to an election, was not surprising.
He expressed hope that the appeal judges would see the matter differently from the High Court.
What the ICPC Told the Court
Ayodeji Adedipe led the ICPC’s team. He spoke to journalists after the hearing and said the High Court acted correctly. He asked the appeal court to throw out the case.
Adedipe said El-Rufai has applied for bail three times at the lower court. Each request failed. The judge dismissed the first outright. The second fell because El-Rufai gave no special reason for coming back so soon.
The third request met the same fate, Adedipe said. Even so, El-Rufai took only the second ruling to the Court of Appeal.
The ICPC lawyer accused the defence of hiding this from the appeal judges. He said they never disclosed the refusal of the third application. For that reason, he called the appeal baseless.
What Happens Next
Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi presided over the sitting. Judges at the Court of Appeal will now consider both sets of arguments. Until they announce a date, El-Rufai stays in custody.
