Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has returned to his Abuja residence after being granted temporary release by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on compassionate grounds.
The release allows him to attend the burial of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday following a brief illness.
His son, Bashir El-Rufai, confirmed the development in a post on X, saying: “Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
El-Rufai had been in ICPC custody since February 18 over allegations of financial misconduct.
He was arraigned earlier this week before the Federal High Court in Kaduna alongside one Joel Adoga.
The anti-corruption agency filed a 10-count charge against the defendants, bordering on abuse of office, money laundering, and fraud.
It specifically alleged that El-Rufai received N289,826,998.12 on two separate occasions in 2020 and 2023 as severance allowance—figures it claims far exceed the legally approved entitlement of N20,013,245.00.
Additionally, the ICPC accused the former governor of receiving $817,900 in suspected proceeds of corruption through his domiciliary account with Guaranty Trust Bank while in office.
El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case is being presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, who adjourned proceedings to March 31 to rule on pending applications, including a potential bail request.
His counsel, Ubong Akpan, clarified that no bail application was filed during the arraignment, as the session was strictly for taking pleas.
Beyond the ICPC case, El-Rufai is also facing a separate prosecution by the State Security Service over alleged phone-tapping claims involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 23 for his arraignment in that matter.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, paid tribute to the late matriarch, describing her as a woman of remarkable character who raised children and grandchildren that have made meaningful contributions to the nation.
