Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has been returned to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) following court proceedings in Kaduna on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
El-Rufai had temporarily left ICPC custody on March 27, 2026, following the death of his mother. He was re-arraigned on Tuesday as legal proceedings in his cases resumed.
Court Proceedings
El-Rufai first appeared before the Kaduna State High Court on a separate charge filed by the anti-graft agency. Proceedings were stalled due to the absence of the second defendant, and the matter was adjourned until April 10, 2026.
Following the adjournment, he was taken to the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where his bail application was scheduled for hearing. The court had earlier fixed March 31 for the hearing. After the court appearances, El-Rufai was returned to ICPC custody pending further proceedings.
Withdrawal of Fundamental Rights Suit
Meanwhile, El-Rufai withdrew his fundamental rights enforcement suit against a Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory Magistrate’s Court, who had been listed as the second defendant in his ₦1 billion damages claim.
During proceedings before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, his counsel, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, filed a motion on March 30 to remove the magistrate from the list of defendants and to strike out a previous motion for substituted service on the magistrate.
The court struck out the magistrate’s name from the suit and removed the ex parte motion from the court record. Nnakwu subsequently requested an adjournment to amend the suit.
This latest development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of El-Rufai’s legal challenges, highlighting the complex nature of the anti-corruption investigations and associated civil suits.
