The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed an appeal by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, challenging the refusal of his fresh bail application by the Kaduna State High Court.
According to a Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained by NEWSMEN on Friday, the three-member appellate panel unanimously ruled on Thursday that El-Rufai failed to establish fresh facts or special circumstances warranting interference with the lower court’s decision.
The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, upheld the ruling of the Kaduna State High Court, which rejected the former governor’s second bail application on June 10, 2026.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over alleged financial offences linked to his administration.
The former governor has denied wrongdoing and challenged the circumstances surrounding his continued detention.
Following the rejection of his bail application by the High Court, which also ordered an accelerated hearing of the case, El-Rufai approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision.
However, the appellate court held that the lower court acted within its judicial discretion in refusing bail, noting that its decision was properly grounded in the affidavit evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defence.
The panel also considered the prosecution’s argument that some of El-Rufai’s public remarks during a televised interview raised concerns about possible interference with the course of justice.
The prosecution had argued that the former governor made remarks about defending his political legacy against individuals he accused of attempting to criminalise him.
It further alleged that, during an interview on April 26, 2026, El-Rufai admitted to wiretapping the telephone line of the National Security Adviser.
According to the judgment, El-Rufai acknowledged participating in the interview and noted that he was facing a separate trial relating to the subject matter.
The Court of Appeal consequently dismissed the appeal, leaving the High Court’s decision to deny him bail in place.
