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 explained that the prosecution revised the charges, removing one of the earlier defendants and leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant in the case.
According to him, the court took the plea of the former governor at the resumed hearing and also considered his bail application.
“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 thoroughly review the amended charges before deciding on its next steps.
“We will analyse the charges and make our position known. For now, there is nothing we can do until we have fully reviewed them,” he stated.
The court subsequently adjourned the case to Tuesday, April 14, for a ruling on the bail application.
In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the anti-graft agency accused El-Rufai of committing multiple offences during his time in office.
Among the allegations, the ICPC claimed that in 2016, he influenced the Kaduna State Government to confer a benefit of N11bn on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was allegedly not executed.
The commission also alleged that he approved and received severance benefits of about N289.8m, far above the legally approved N20m.
Another count accused him of unlawfully disposing of over $1m, reportedly part of a World Bank loan to Kaduna State, in violation of the loan agreement.
The prosecution further alleged that he conspired with others still at large to offer inducements to federal investigators in an attempt to compromise an ongoing probe.
Additional counts include alleged breaches of procurement laws in the award of a multi-billion-naira CCTV contract, conferring undue advantage on associates, and unlawful land allocations.
The ICPC had earlier arraigned El-Rufai before Justice Darius Khobo alongside a businessman, Amadu Sule, on similar allegations.
The former governor had remained in ICPC custody from February 19 until March 28, when he was temporarily released on compassionate grounds to attend his mother’s burial.
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