BREAKING: Court Refuses To Hear Ex-Governor El-Rufai’s Bail Application, Adjourns Case To April 23

The ruling was delivered by Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik.

The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday refused to hear the bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, declaring the request premature and adjourning the matter until April 23, 2026.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik.

A lawyer who witnessed the proceedings told SaharaReporters that the court declined to allow El-Rufai’s legal team to move the application during Wednesday’s session.

“On the El-Rufai case, the court denied his counsel the right to move for his bail application just now. He stated the bail application is immature and he adjourned the case to the 23rd of April 2026 to arraign El-Rufai properly before the court,” the lawyer said.

El-Rufai was not present in court during the proceedings as he remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

Some chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including Bolaji Abdullahi, were present in court to observe the proceedings.

The latest development comes amid escalating legal battles involving the former governor and anti-corruption agencies.

El-Rufai had earlier filed a ₦1billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the ICPC and three other respondents over what he described as an unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.

The suit, filed on February 20, 2026, before the Federal High Court in Abuja with case number FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, listed the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrate Court, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents.

According to court filings by his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, ICPC operatives accompanied by police officers allegedly stormed El-Rufai’s residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19, 2026, relying on what the legal team described as a defective search warrant.

The lawyers argued that the warrant lacked specificity regarding items to be seized and contained typographical and material errors, rendering it invalid.

Concerns have also been raised by El-Rufai’s camp over his continued detention and alleged treatment while in custody.

His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, had alleged that the former governor suffered a nosebleed during detention and was denied direct access to meals brought by family members.

The aide further claimed that El-Rufai was moved overnight from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the ICPC without prior notice to his lawyers or family.

The legal team has maintained that no valid remand order has been presented to justify his continued detention beyond constitutionally permitted limits, while efforts to secure bail have so far remained unsuccessful.

With Wednesday’s ruling, the court is expected to formally arraign El-Rufai when proceedings resume on April 23, as the legal battle between the former governor and federal anti-corruption agencies deepens.

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