By Mary Onyia
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna over alleged corruption charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa approved bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties but ordered that the former governor remain in ICPC custody pending the fulfillment of the conditions.
The court directed that one surety must be a senior civil servant not below Grade Level 15, while the other must be a traditional ruler. Both are required to own landed property and deposit their international passports with the court.
Additional conditions include monthly reporting to the ICPC and a restriction barring El-Rufai and his legal team from granting media interviews related to the case until the trial concludes.
El-Rufai, who is facing a nine-count charge, has also been linked politically to the African Democratic Congress, with some opposition figures describing his prosecution as politically motivated.
El-Rufai’s legal troubles began following allegations of corrupt practices during his tenure as Kaduna State governor, prompting an ICPC investigation and subsequent charges.