Fresh Trouble For El-Rufai As ICPC Files Amended Nine-Count Charge

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has filed an amended nine-count charge against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai over alleged fraud, abuse of office and corruption.

The development emerged on Monday at the Kaduna State High Court, where the ex-governor was arraigned and his plea taken.

Lead counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang, told journalists after the proceedings that the prosecution amended the charges, dropping one of the earlier defendants and leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant.

He disclosed that the defence team was served with the amended charges in court, a development he said stalled the commencement of trial.

“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 hearing,” Abang said.

He added that the defence would study the fresh charges before responding.

“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 trial judge, Darius Khobo, subsequently adjourned the case to Tuesday, April 14, for ruling on the bail application filed by the defendant.

In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the anti-graft agency accused El-Rufai of committing multiple offences during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.

In one of the counts, the ICPC alleged that he induced the state government in 2016 to confer a benefit of N11bn on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project said to have not been executed.

The commission further alleged in Counts Two and Three that the former governor used his office to approve and receive severance benefits of about N289.8m, far above the legally approved N20m.

In another count, El-Rufai was accused of dishonestly disposing of over $1m, said to be part of a World Bank loan to the state, contrary to the loan agreement.

The prosecution also alleged that he conspired with others now at large to offer inducement to federal investigators in a bid to compromise an ongoing investigation.

Other counts bordered on alleged breaches of procurement laws in the award of a multi-billion naira CCTV contract, conferring undue advantage on associates, as well as unlawful land allocations.

The ICPC had earlier arraigned El-Rufai alongside a businessman, Amadu Sule, on similar allegations, although the amended charge has now made the former governor the sole defendant in the case.

El-Rufai was in the custody of the commission from February 19 until March 28, when he was granted temporary release on compassionate grounds to attend the burial of his mother.

The case continues on Tuesday with the court expected to deliver its ruling on his bail application.