The Court of Appeal in Kaduna has reserved judgment in former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s appeal against the refusal of bail by the Kaduna State High Court.
Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi reserved judgment on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, after hearing arguments from El-Rufai’s counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), represented by Ayodeji Adedipe.
Adedipe urged the court to dismiss the appeal, saying the High Court was right to deny El-Rufai bail.
He said El-Rufai had filed three bail applications, all rejected by the trial court. The prosecution contended that the former governor appealed the ruling on his second application without disclosing that a third application had also been dismissed.
Adedipe urged the appellate court to reject the appeal on that basis.
Erokoro asked the court to overturn the High Court’s decision, arguing that the charges are bailable and do not carry the death penalty.
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He said continued detention was hampering El-Rufai’s preparation for trial by limiting access to his lawyers and witnesses and potentially affecting confidential communication with his legal team.
Erokoro also argued that the timing of the prosecution, close to an election, was significant given El-Rufai’s status as a prominent opposition figure.
The appeal follows the High Court’s June 29, 2026 dismissal of El-Rufai’s third bail application, which was based on medical grounds. Justice Darius Khobo held that the application failed to establish exceptional circumstances for his release but directed the ICPC to ensure access to his doctors and any specialist medical facility of his choice when required.
El-Rufai is facing a nine-count ICPC charge and has pleaded not guilty.
In a separate ICPC case, the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him ₦200 million bail on April 14, 2026, subject to conditions. The order did not affect his detention under the State High Court proceedings.
The Court of Appeal did not fix a date for judgment.