Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted temporary bail from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to enable him attend the funeral rites of his late mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
The release, confirmed by an aide to the former governor, was approved on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, who reportedly passed away in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.
Reacting to the development, his son, Bashir El-Rufai, announced the release in a post on X, expressing gratitude to supporters while criticising the circumstances surrounding his father’s detention.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has not issued an official statement detailing the conditions of the temporary bail or the next steps in its investigation.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18 and is currently facing multiple legal challenges across different courts. On March 24, he was arraigned alongside a co-defendant at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on allegations bordering on financial misconduct, including the conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The court had earlier adjourned ruling on his bail application to March 31, 2026.
In a separate case, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged unlawful interception of communications involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in violation of the Cybercrimes Act. His arraignment in that matter is scheduled for April 23, 2026.
El-Rufai has also instituted counter-suits against the authorities, seeking damages over what he described as unlawful actions, including a raid on his Abuja residence and the wiretapping allegations.
The legal battles stem from events that began in February 2026, when he was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged ₦423 billion misappropriation, before being re-arrested by the ICPC shortly after his release on administrative bail.
Despite the ongoing cases, the temporary bail marks a brief reprieve for the former governor as he joins his family during a period of mourning.
