3 KEY POINTS
- El-Rufai’s arraignment was stalled due to his absence from court.
- Defence said the former governor was in ICPC custody at the time of the hearing.
- Court ruled that the bail application was premature and fixed April 23 for arraignment.
MAIN STORY
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to April 23, 2026, following the defence’s failure to produce the defendant in court.
El-Rufai is facing a three-count charge instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged wiretapping of the telephone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
At the resumed hearing, defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), informed the court that his client was being held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and could not be produced for arraignment.
Iyamu requested an adjournment to enable El-Rufai’s appearance and urged the court to hear the pending bail application, noting that the prosecution had earlier indicated it would not oppose bail since the alleged offences are bailable.
However, the prosecution, led by Oluwole Aladedoye, opposed the request for bail consideration, arguing that the defendant had not yet been formally arraigned before the court.
THE ISSUES
The matter raises procedural questions on the hearing of bail applications prior to arraignment, as well as concerns over inter-agency custody of defendants facing criminal charges.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
In a brief ruling, Justice Joyce Abdumalik held that the bail application could not be entertained as the defendant had not been arraigned, describing the request as premature.
WHAT’S NEXT
The court adjourned the case to April 23, 2026, for El-Rufai’s arraignment, provided he is produced before the court on that date.
BOTTOM LINE
El-Rufai’s legal proceedings remain at a preliminary stage, with the court insisting on proper arraignment before considering any bail application.
