El-Rufai’s alleged corruption trial stalled as co-defendants fail to appear in court

The trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was on Monday stalled after two co-defendants failed to appear before a Federal High Court in Kaduna.
The ex-Kaduna governor, who is standing trial on charges of alleged abuse of office, fraud, and financial misconduct filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, was present in court for the proceedings on Monday.

He arrived at the court alongside officials of the ICPC, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and police personnel.

The court, however, could not proceed with the case due to the absence of the two co-defendants, leading to an adjournment.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 28, 2026, for commencement of the hearing.

Recall that El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations against him, while prosecutors allege that public funds were improperly released for projects that were either not executed or were irregularly handled during his tenure as governor.