El-Rufai gets N200m bail
The Federal High Court in Kaduna has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai in the corruption case instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and
The Federal High Court in Kaduna has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai in the corruption case instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice Rilwanu Aikawa admitted the former governor to bail for N200 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court, however, ordered that El-Rufai remain in ICPC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
As part of the conditions, the sureties are required to deposit their international passports with the court.
The court further directed that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 15, while the other must be a recognised traditional ruler.
The former governor is barred from making public comments relating to the case and must attend all court sittings.
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At the Kaduna State High Court, ruling on El-Rufai’s bail application in a separate corruption case filed by the ICPC has been adjourned to April 21.
The charge ranges from abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud to conferring undue advantage, among others.
He was arraigned on a separate 10-count charge over the whereabouts of a $1,080,000 World Bank loan obtained for the state during his tenure as governor.
In the Federal High Court case, El-Rufai is to account for overpayment of N579million as severance allowance between 2020 and 2023.
He was said to be entitled to N40million after his first and second terms in office.
Also, he is expected to explain how he came about the over $781,900 strange deposits in his domiciliary account by his staff and some individuals.
One of the affected staff is on the run, while some of the individuals have escaped from Nigeria.
The ICPC alleged that el-Rufai illegally collected N289.8 million as severance allowance on two occasions in September 2020 and January 2023.
The total severance package was about N579 million instead of the entitled sum of about N40 million, amounting to N20million each of his two terms.
The overpayment was more than 300 per cent of his basic salary as a severance allowance.
The commission alleged that the former governor reasonably ought to have known that the funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful acts, including corruption, thereby violating provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
All the allegations were denied by El-Rufai, who pleaded not guilty.
