El-Rufai Returned To ICPC Custody

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been returned to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)  following proceedings in two courts in Kaduna on Tuesday.

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The development comes days after the former governor was temporarily released from custody.

El-Rufai had earlier left ICPC custody on March 27, 2026, following the death of his mother.

He was, however, re-arraigned on Tuesday as legal proceedings in the cases against him resumed.

The former governor first appeared before the Kaduna State High Court over a separate charge filed by the anti-graft agency.

Proceedings at the court were, however, stalled due to the absence of the second defendant in the matter.

Consequently, the case was adjourned until April 10, 2026.

Following the adjournment, El-Rufai was taken to the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where his application for bail was scheduled for hearing.

Earlier, the court had fixed March 31, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.

After the court appearances, the former governor was returned to ICPC custody pending further proceedings in the cases.

Meanwhile, El-Rufai had earlier withdrew his fundamental rights enforcement suit against a Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory Magistrate’s Court who had been listed as the second defendant in his ₦1bn damages claim.

Naija News reports that the development was disclosed at the Federal High Court in Abuja during proceedings before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Counsel to the former governor, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, informed the court shortly after the matter was called that a motion had been filed to withdraw the suit against the magistrate.

According to the lawyer, the motion, dated and filed on March 30, sought to remove the magistrate from the list of defendants.

“We urge my lord to strike out the name of the second defendant as a party in this suit,” Nnakwu said.

He also asked the court to strike out an earlier motion seeking substituted service of court processes on the magistrate.

Counsel for the Nigeria Police Force, Ezekiel Rimamsomte; the representative of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Maimuna Shiru; and Abdul Mohammed (SAN), counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, did not oppose the application.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently struck out the magistrate’s name from the suit and also removed the motion ex parte from the court’s record.

Following the withdrawal, Nnakwu requested an adjournment to enable him to amend the suit.