The Digest:
A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai to April 23, 2026, after he failed to appear due to ongoing detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN) informed Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that el-Rufai could not be produced as he remains in ICPC custody, urging adjournment to March 10. Defence counsel Oluwole Iyamu did not oppose adjournment but applied for bail, arguing keeping his client in custody for two additional weeks would amount to suppression. The prosecution opposed bail as premature since arraignment hadn't occurred. Justice Abdulmalik ruled that under Section 156 of the ACJA, bail could not be considered before arraignment, adjourning to April 23. El-Rufai faces a three-count charge of unlawfully intercepting NSA Nuhu Ribadu's phone communications, punishable under the Cybercrimes Act 2024. He has filed a motion to quash the charges, seeking N2 billion in costs.
Key Points:
- The adjournment prolongs el-Rufai's detention across multiple agencies.
- Legal battle over bail highlights tension between pre-arraignment detention and rights.
- El-Rufai remains in custody, while court rejects premature bail bid.
- This signals the complexity of multi-agency probes and legal timelines.
- The timing, with April 23 date, offers clarity but prolongs uncertainty.
Sources: The Punch, Federal High Court
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