The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has reserved judgment in an appeal filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, challenging the refusal of his bail application by the Kaduna State High Court.
A three-member panel led by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi reserved judgment on Tuesday after hearing arguments from counsel to El-Rufai and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
The court, however, did not fix a date for the delivery of the judgment.
ICPC lead counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the appellate court to dismiss the appeal, arguing that the Kaduna State High Court was right to refuse El-Rufai bail.
Adedipe told the court that the former governor had filed three separate bail applications before the trial court, all of which were rejected.
He argued that while the first application was dismissed, the second was also refused after El-Rufai failed to establish exceptional circumstances to justify another application.
According to the prosecution, a third bail application was subsequently filed and also dismissed by the trial court, but El-Rufai appealed against the ruling on the second application.
Adedipe further argued that the former governor failed to disclose to the Court of Appeal that the third bail application had also been rejected, describing the appeal as unmeritorious.
However, counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro, SAN, urged the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s decision and grant his client bail pending the determination of the charges against him.
Erokoro argued that the offences for which El-Rufai is being prosecuted are bailable and not capital offences.
He maintained that continued detention was restricting his client’s access to lawyers and witnesses and could affect the preparation of his defence and confidential communication with his legal team.
The defence counsel also argued that El-Rufai’s status as a prominent opposition figure and the timing of the criminal charges ahead of the 2027 general elections should be considered by the court.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, is being prosecuted by the ICPC over alleged financial offences linked to his administration.
The former governor has denied wrongdoing.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Justice Otisi reserved judgment without fixing a date for its delivery.
