El-Rufai Arraigned on Property Conversion, Laundering Charges

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai appeared at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, for his arraignment on charges of converting and possessing public property and money laundering. The proceedings, held under heavy security at the court's premises in the Kawo area, marked the end of more than a month of detention for the politician, who governed the state from 2015 to 2023.

El-Rufai arrived at the court around 9:00 a.m. in a Hilux vehicle, accompanied by operatives from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). Dressed in a light green babanriga and matching cap, he remained in the vehicle for over 30 minutes before entering the courtroom at approximately 9:34 a.m., surrounded by a protective cordon of security personnel. The ICPC is prosecuting El-Rufai alongside co-defendant Joel Adoga in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026, with charges filed on March 18, 2026. Officials from the agency confirmed that all parties had been duly served.

Security measures were extensive from early morning, with deployments of personnel from the DSS, Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police Force,...